The Adventures of a Fangirl
by bugreid
Summary: What if the CoD fandom were actually in Cause of Death as one person? Meet Ellie, the main character, who represents the whole fandom. Ellie's thoughts, emotions, and actions are all what we think or would have done if we were in the story. Follow along with Mal, Natara, Ellie, and the rest of the cast of Cause of Death as they take on the many serial killers in San Francisco.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi everyone! It's nice to be back into fanfiction… I noticed that it's been dead lately and I've had this idea in my mind for a while now so I just decided to go ahead and write it! I'm sorry I haven't typed any in the past year… A lot has happened to me. On April 20, 2014, my house of almost 16 years burned to the ground. It happened on Easter morning. The fire started in a small breaker box in my room. If I hadn't have gotten up early that morning to attend Sunrise Service at my church, I probably would be dead right now… So yeah. We lost everything. All of our clothes, pictures, furniture, etc. My cat, Alli, was also in the house. We tried to save her, but we could never find her… Not to mention that my laptop was in my house so every single one of my already typed out stories and story ideas that I had never posted was burned. I was literally almost done with writing a new chapter to**_ _What You'll Do For the One You Love_ _ **buuuut oh well. I don't remember it now, sadly. Anyways, after all of that, I just lost my inspiration for writing since I had lost every single one of my future story ideas.**_

 _ **On the brighter side to that depressing story, I'm writing again! And my family built a new house! It's pretty nice. It's bigger but of course nothing will ever replace the house I grew up in. Also, these past two years, I've gotten my first serious boyfriend, (Heh, heh.), gotten my first car, and so far, I've survived half of my senior year already. So, life has been good to me at the moment.**_

 _ **Now back to the story. Just like the description says, Ellie, our main character, represents all of the CoD fandom. So basically, what she says and does would be like what our fandom would do if we were a part of the story. When you first played Cause of Death, her reactions in the story will probably match what your reactions were in real life. If you don't get it now, you'll get it as you read. Oh, and I'm going to try to do every single volume and episode in Ellie's P.O.V. So there will be plenty of chapters and you will get to relive every episode of Cause of Death! And that's about it. I hope you enjoy...**_

 **The Adventures of a Fangirl  
** _Volume 1:_

 _ **Prologue**_

Somewhere deep in the middle of the ocean, in a cold, dark room in the bottom of a boat is where our story begins…

Our main character, Ellie, wakes up somewhere cold and dark, struggling to open her eyes.

"Where am I? What is this?!" she asks herself, looking around. All of a sudden, a light flickers on, revealing a red-headed female in a dingy corner, just now waking up.

"Oh God…"

 _ ***Sophie's P.O.V***_

"Nnh… My head… What… What happened? Where am I?" You whisper to yourself.

"Hm. Well this is interesting," a girl in the other corner, Ellie, states, wondering what is going to happen.

Your wrists are bound, and you're lying in a dingy corner. Overhead, a bare bulb shines a wane, yellow light.

"The… The last thing I remember is the club…" You think to yourself, obviously not paying any attention to the other girl in the corner.

You turn your headd to see a masked man standing at a workbench. He methodically lays out tools… A scalpel, a palette knife, a bucket.

"Oh my god… Oh my god!" You think, horrified.

"Oh crap… This girl is about to get killed!" Ellie thinks to herself, eyes wide.

Behind you, you can barely make out a narrow flight of stairs. You debate on whether to sneak out or to scream for help. Ellie frantically shakes her head.

"Don't you dare yell! Run, bitch, run!" Ellie whispers frantically.

Using the corner of the wall as a brace, you rise unsteadily to your feet.

"I need to be quiet… I can make it out of here," you thinks. All of a sudden, the step creaks.

The masked man whisks his head around to see you trying to escape. He charges towards you!

"RUN, RED-HEAD, RUN!" Ellie yells at you. You race frantically up the stairs…

"Oh my God…" you say in horror, as soon as you get on deck.

All of a sudden, Ellie magically appears on the deck of the boat with you, gazing out at the rocky shores of Alcatraz Island. The ocean spray stings against your cheeks.

"No… No!" you cry.

The masked man emerges from below decks. He is holding a syringe.

"Oh yeah. You're definitely dead now," Ellie says.

Looking down, you see choppy waves pound against the hull.

You look around, as if trying to decide what to say.

"Be brave!" Ellie whispers to you.

"You won't get away with this!" you threaten the masked man. "If you hurt me, the police will come after you!"

"I'm positively shaking," the masked man says, sarcastically.

"Well, you may not be, but I am. This is creepy…" Ellie mutters.

The masked man steps towards you. You swing at him wildly.

"Yeah, girl! Hit him!" Ellie encourages.

"Get away from me, you… You…" you threaten to no avail.

The masked man grabs you wrist and forces you to the ground.

"No more running," the masked man tells you. With surgical precision, the man sticks the syringe into your neck.

"Ugh. I hate needles…" Ellie states, shuddering.

"Ahh!" you scream. "What did he just give me…? I feel… Dizzy…" You think.

The world blurs around you. Your body goes limp, paralyzed.

The masked man carries you down below deck, with Ellie following. He lays you on the workbench.

"Hey, uh, dude? I don't think this is such a good idea…" Ellie says awkwardly, scratching the side of her head. The masked man just grunts and chooses to ignore her.

"Hhhh…" you moan.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you," the masked man tells you.

"Then what are you going to do?! You already paralyzed her!" Ellie shrieks, gesturing towards your limp figure.

The masked man dips a palette knife into a bucket and uses it to apply a layer of plaster across your face.

"Oh good God, that's disgusting…" Ellie mutters, feeling sick.

"I'm just going to show the world your true face," the masked man tells you.

"What does that mean?" Ellie asks, curiously.

The masked man ignores her and continues to work, covering your mouth and nostrils, but leaving your eyes for last. You struggle, but you can't move! Your limbs lay dead at your sides!

Ellie taps on the man's shoulder as he continues to spread the plaster on your face. "Hey, answer me. What does the true face thing mean?! Also, I think she might suffocate if you keep doing that, sir." Ellie looks at you, cautiously.

Your lungs burn for air. Your vision dims…

"No! Wait! Don't end this part yet! What does that mean?!" Ellie yells. It almost seems as if she is being sucked into the darkness with you.

Your vision dims even more…

"NO! TELL ME WHAT IT MEANS!" Ellie yells at the man one last time before…

The darkness swallows you.

 _ **Chapter One**_

 _ ***You are now Detective Mal Fallon of the San Francisco Police Department***_

You sit in a back-alley bar in the Mission District playing a heads-up game of Texas Hold 'Em.

"Come on, Diego, what are you waiting for? I don't have all day…" You tell your friend. A heavily tattooed young man sits across from you, twitching nervously.

All of a sudden, a woman named Ellie walks in.

"Holy crap! You're… You're hot!" she exclaims, referring to you.

You smile politely and nod your head to her. "Thanks."

She swoons and fans herself. "Oh my goodness, I've died and gone to Heaven!"

You and Diego decide to ignore her.

"I'm thinking, man, I'm thinking…" Diego tells you, biting his lip nervously.

"Oooh, are you guys playing poker?!" Ellie shrieks excitedly, running to go sit with you two. She sits down and looks at both of you. "Yeah, let's play some poker!" You both just stare at her, bewildered. She looks around at the two of you, and then down at the table, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Wait…" she says, looking up now, a disappointed look on her face. "I have no idea how to play poker."

You both roll your eyes and continue playing your game.

Nearby, a TV is blaring, "The serial killer dubbed as 'The Maskmaker continues to elude capture, frustrating law enforcement…"

"Hey, you hear about this Maskmaker guy, Mal? Killing girls, making masks out of their faces. Pretty sick, huh?" Diego tries to strike up a conversation, nodding to the television.

"Oh my goodness, I just saw that happen!" Ellie shrieks, pointing to the TV. "I'm a witness!"

You and Diego choose to ignore her, once again.

"How about you leave the detective work to me, Diego, and focus on the game? You gonna make a bet or not?" You ask, smirking.

Diego glances at his two cards, then grins. "Sure, I'm in for thirty."

"Let's see… We're at the final round of betting, and I've got nothing but a pair of fours… But my gut says Diego's got even less," You think to yourself. You wonder whether to bluff or fold.

"Um… Bluff sounds good. Let's go with bluff," Ellie whispers to you. So you bluff.

"I raise a hundred," you state.

"What? No, man, you… You don't got it. No way you got anything," Diego says, frowning.

"Then call it, Diego. Put your money where your mouth is," you smirk at him.

"Ahhh, screw this, man. I fold," he says, sadly.

"Was that good? I feel like that was good," Ellie declares, nodding.

You reach across the table and gather up the pot.

"Cheer up. One of these days, your luck will turn," you grin at him.

All of a sudden, above your head, the words, 'Detective Score Up!' appear for a moment and then disappear. Ellie seems to be the only one to see it, however.

"Did you guys just see that?! What does that mean?!" she exclaims.

You and Diego give her a weird look.

"You guys didn't see the floating words?! Come on! They were right above your head!" she points to above your head. You look up to see nothing there.

"Ugh, nevermind," she groans.

You simply shrug it off. "Maybe she's just had a little too much to drink…" you think to yourself, amused.

Diego starts to shuffle the cards, when a tall police officer walks up to the table.

"Mal," Detective Ken Greene addresses you.

"Who are you?!" Ellie asks.

You all decide to ignore her.

"Well, this is unexpected. What are you doing here, Ken?" you ask him.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here… Gambling away with these other shady, unkempt lowlifes…" he says, eyeing Diego.

"Hey, I might be shady and a lowlife, but I'm very well kempt…" you joke.

"Anyway, the Captain sent me to find you. You're needed on a case," Detective Greene tells you.

"Hm. I wonder which case that would be!" Ellie says, sarcastically.

"I thought I was suspended until the end of next week…" you say.

"You were. Now, you're not. Let's go."

"Dang, Mal. Don't ask questions! Just go!" Ellie tries to shoo you off.

"You got suspended? What'd you do?" Diego asks, curiously.

"Yeah, what did you do?" Ellie asks, propping her elbow up on the table.

You bite your lip, wondering whether you should tell them.

"Just tell us the truth," Ellie tells you.

"I punched the mayor's son," You reply honestly.

"Damn! That's hardcore!" Diego grins.

"Oh wow…" Ellie mutters.

"'Hardcore' was what he did to the girl he assaulted. I just helped him understand the error of his ways," you reply honestly.

"Wow, that's hot," Ellie swoons.

"As much fun as it is to rehash your greatest hits, we gotta roll out," Ken says, nodding towards the door.

You pocket the last of your money. "What's the big rush, anyway?"

"Yeah, where are we going?" Ellie asks, hopping out of her seat.

"Captain Yeong wants you to head up the Maskmaker Task Force," Ken informs you.

"I knew it!" Ellie squeals.

"Since when is there a Maskmaker Task Force?" You ask.

"Since we just found another victim. Let's go," Ken says, nodding to the door.

"This is getting intense!" Ellie squeals.

You get up from the seat and pull on your coat. You and Ken walk towards the door.

"Oh, and by the way…" Ken starts.

"Yeah?" You ask, looking at him.

He grins. "It's good to have you back, Mal."

"I feel a bromance coming on!" Ellie sings, walking right behind you two.

Half an hour later, you're driving down the streets of San Francisco.

Sitting in the passenger seat is your superior, Captain Maria Yeong.

"I gotta tell you, Captain, as much as I'm glad to be back on the beat, I thought Detective Blackwell was handling the Maskmaker case…" you tell her.

"He was when the victims were all prostitutes. This new one's a college girl. When the press gets word of this, the public is going to go crazy…" Captain Maria Yeong says. "And whether I like it or not, you're the best detective I've got."

"Oooh!" Ellie pops up from the back seat. "He's gorgeous AND he's a great detective?! Sounds yummy…" she wiggles her eyebrows.

Captain Maria Yeong looks back at her, curiously, startled by her sudden appearance.

"Who's this?" she asks you.

You shrug. "I'm not really sure. She's been following me around all day. I think she's some sort of intern or something…"

"Oh… I had no idea that we had interns at the station…" Captain Yeong furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Anyways," you change the subject back to the original one. "I appreciate it," you nod at her, appreciating the compliment.

"That doesn't mean you're off the hook! I want this one by-the-book, Detective. You understand that? By-the-book," she warns, furrowing her eyebrows.

You wonder whether to be cocky or follow her orders.

"Follow her order," Ellie whispers to you.

"You've got my word," you say. "I won't let you down, Captain."

All of a sudden, the words, 'Detective Score Up!' appear above your head.

"There it is again!" Ellie shrieks, just as the words disappear. You and Captain Yeong both look up to see nothing.

"Ugh, I swear it was there!" she curses.

You both choose to ignore her.

"Good. And you might want to let your wife know you'll be home late," she states.

"Wife?! You have a wife?! No! You're supposed to marry me!" Ellie yells in outrage from the backseat.

"Yeah, I'll, uh, give her a call in a bit. First, why don't you give me the basics on the case?" you tell Captain Yeong.

"This is the third murder matching this M.O. we've had in three months. The victims were young women, age 20-25, who washed up dead near the waterfront. All of them had plaster masks molded to their faces," she informs you. "We can't definitively ID this latest victim until we run her DNA against a comparison sample, but the student ID in her wallet says she's Sophie Patterson of Stanford University."

"Yep, that's her! I know her! Her name is Sophie and she was killed by the Maskmaker! That's definitely her!" Ellie interrupts.

Captain Yeong chooses to ignore her. "I've already called the tech team. They'll fill you in on this victim when we get there. Any questions?"

You debate on whether you need more information.

"Nah, you're good," Ellie says, waving her hand in a dismissive manner.

You chuckle. "Well, I guess that I know what I need to know." You then turn serious. "I'll catch this guy, Captain."

"I hope you can, Detective… Before he kills again," Captain Yeong states, seriously.

A cold breeze blows over you as you arrive at a series of run-down docks just a few blocks away from the touristy hub of Fisherman's Wharf.

By the water, you're greeted by an all-too-familiar sight: a circle roped off by police tape and a huddle of grim-faced officers.

You push past several officers and walk into the circle. On her back by the water is a young, well-dressed girl with a firm plaster mask molded around her face.

"Ah hell…" You mutter to yourself.

"Yep… That's definitely her," Ellie nods.

Captain Yeong comes up beside both of you. "The body was found by some fishermen coming back from their morning trawl. Judging by the look of her, she spent the night in the water."

"She was dumped in the ocean… But the mask stayed on?" You ask, curiously.

"Believe me, we're having a hell of a time getting it off. Our killer knew what he was doing," Captain Yeong nods toward the body.

You walk towards the body, when a young woman in a dark suit steps out from the circle and snaps a picture!

You debate on whether to be rude and yell at her or to be polite.

"Aw, be nice, she's just a girl," Ellie tells you.

"Miss, please back away from the crime scene," you ask her politely.

"I would, but that would make doing my job more difficult," the woman replies.

"Wow… You're pretty," Ellie whispers, referring to the woman.

The woman stands up, reaches into her pocket, and flashes you an FBI ID.

Suddenly, a 'Detective Score Up!' flashes above your head.

Ellie nudges the woman. "Did you just see that?!" The woman simply raises her eyebrow. "Ugh, nevermind! You must all be blind or something!"

You and the woman choose to ignore her.

"You're with the FBI?" you ask the woman.

"You've got a serial killer on your hands, and the Bureau sent me to assist with profiling. Are we going to have a problem?" the woman retorts back.

"Oooh! She's feisty! I like her!" Ellie tells you, pointing at the woman.

"Captain?" you ask, looking back at the woman in question.

"I didn't expect them to get someone out here so fast… But yes, I heard we'd be receiving assistance from the Bureau," Captain Yeong tells you, frowning. "Do me a favor and play nice."

"I'll try not to bite," you reply, smirking.

"Oooh, is he flirting? He's definitely flirting," Ellie nudges the woman once again.

You ignore her and turn towards the woman.

"I'm Detective Mal Fallon," you introduce yourself.

"Special Agent Natara Williams," she replies curtly.

"Wait… woah…" Ellie states, eyes wide, a grin forming on her face. "You two are going to fall in love. I just know it!"

You grin, teasingly, ignoring Ellie. "Can I call you Nat?"

She frowns, angrily. "You can call me Special Agent Williams."

"Oh yes! It's definitely going to happen now! You two are going to fall in love!" Ellie squeals, jumping up and down.

You both ignore her.

"Well, Special Agent Williams, mind if I examine the crime scene?"

"Geez. Special Agent Williams is such a mouth full! It'd be so much easier if you let him call you Nat, darlin'," Ellie tells Special Agent Williams, grinning.

She decides to ignore her.

"Be my guest," she gestures towards the crime scene.

"She's got no visible wounds on her. No sign of bruising around her neck, and I'm not seeing any head trauma," you state.

"Even her clothes are neat. No rips or tears, no obvious signs of struggle. Unless our killer meticulously dressed her, I'm betting we get no evidence of sexual assault," Special Agent Williams continues to observe the body. "Hmm. That's interesting. This murder is different from the previous victims."

"You're right…" You say. You try to remember how this case is different.

"The cause of death is different," Ellie reminds you, whispering.

"The cause of death is different," you repeat.

"Yes, that's absolutely correct," Special Agent Williams praises you.

Once again, the words 'Detective Score Up!' appear above your head.

Ellie looks at both of you frantically, wondering if either of you saw it.

"Am I seriously the only one who can see that?!" she shrieks.

You both choose to ignore her.

"The other victims were strangled… But this girl has no bruising on her neck," you observe. "So how'd she die?"

"Drowning, maybe?" Special Agent Williams guesses.

"No! He drugged her and put the mask on her face! She died by suffocating from the mask! Trust me, I was there!" Ellie exclaims, but everyone ignores her.

A tall man in a white shirt approaches you.

"No, she couldn't have drowned. There's no fluid in her lungs. The victim was dead before her body entered the water," the tall man states.

"I told you!" Ellie smarts back.

"Special Agent Williams, I'd like you to meet Eric Mills, our forensic technician," you introduce.

"Well, if she didn't die from drowning or strangulation, what killed her?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Look here. See that tiny welt? This indicates the victim received an injection just prior to her death…" Eric states.

"The chloroform?" Special Agent William asks.

"No, if this victim is like the others, that was administered via a cloth over the mouth… We're also seeing some signs of asphyxiation. Look at the petechial hemorrhaging behind the ears," Eric starts.

"The what?" Ellie asks, confused.

Eric clears his throat, aggravated at the interruption. "That suggests that her airways were obstructed…"

"Son of a… He killed her with the mask," you realize.

"What? I LITERALLY JUST TOLD YOU THAT!" Ellie yells. "I WAS THERE! I'M A WITNESS!"

Eric blinks at your accusation. "Come again?"

You bend down, gently moving the girl's head to the side and touching the edge of the mask. "Look how tightly it's plastered onto her skin. My guess is he drugged her, plastered over her face, and let her suffocate to death."

"Nooooo! Really?! Who would have ever guessed that?!" Ellie exclaims, sarcastically.

"Then this crime is even more different than I thought," Special Agent Williams comments. "He made the mask while his victim was alive instead of doing it after she died…"

Ellie dramatically falls on the ground in exasperation. "I swear, no one listens to me!"

You try to think of something to say.

"He's evolving!" Ellie cries from the ground, a hand dramatically covering her face.

"He's evolving," you repeat.

"Exactly. And when a killer this precise, this methodical, this disciplined, still has room to evolve…" Special Agent Williams starts.

"That's trouble," you finish, just as 'Detective Score Up!' appears over your head.

"Ugh, I give up!" Ellie exclaims, still on the ground.

"Yeah. A lot of it," Special Agent Williams confirms, a serious look on her face.

"Hey! Mal! You might want to see this!" Officer William Rye calls.

You turn to the officer, who is holding a blacklight over the body.

"Look what I found on her arm!" Officer Rye exclaims, pointing to the victim's arm.

He shines the blacklight on the inside of the girl's wrists, revealing a stamp, a circle of animals from the Chinese zodiac.

"Wait a minute, I know that stamp. That's from the Zen Club in Chinatown. It's an upscale bar and karaoke club," you report. "Given how crisp the image is, I'm guessing she was there last night."

"Someone there must have seen something…" Special Agent Williams says.

"Well, Special Agent Williams, looks like we just got a lead," you reply.

"A lead?!" Ellie jumps up from the ground. "Oooh! That's so exciting! Where are we going?!"

A few minutes later, you drive Special Agent Williams and Ellie to Chinatown. The Special Agent goes over her paperwork in stony silence.

"Not much of a talker, are you? Too busy profiling?" you ask, grinning.

"As a matter of fact, Detective, I am. And I'm not sure I understand why you find that so amusing," she says, angrily.

"Hey, don't be mean to him. He's sensitive," Ellie says, patting your shoulder.

"It's just… Come on. That pop psych stuff probably sounded great in a classroom at Quantico, but it's not going to find us this killer," you honestly reply to Agent Williams.

"Oh really? And what is going to help us find this killer?" she asks, smartly.

"Real policework. Hitting the street. Grilling witnesses. Following my gut," you say.

"Oh please. Spare me the 'tough cop' routine, will you? I've worked with enough detectives to know it's all an act," she rolls her eyes.

"And you think you know me that well? Have you profiled me?" you ask, curiously.

"As a matter of fact, Detective, I have. Would you like to hear it?" she asks.

"Yes, let's hear it!" Ellie exclaims.

"Sure," you shrug.

"Your name is Mal Fallon. I'm guessing that you're a descendant of Malachi Fallon, first Chief of Police of the San Francisco Police Department?" she asks.

"Wow, that's cool," Ellie comments from the backseat.

"So you've read a history book," you roll your eyes.

"So policework runs in your blood," she states. "But your response to me suggests an innate distrust of women. Absent mother, I imagine?"

"…" You furrow your eyebrows and don't reply.

"I'm guessing you had a rebellious youth? Didn't play by the rules? Maybe even a little legal trouble? And all of this culminates in a personality type that serves authority without fully respecting it."

"Oh, no she didn't…" Ellie whispers, eyes wide.

Special Agent Williams turns to look at you. "How'd I do?"

"Pretty good," you shrug. "But you're wrong about my mother. The woman was a saint."

"Uh huh. So you were a little rebel, huh, Mal?" Ellie smirks.

You suddenly get an idea.

"Now how about I tell you what my gut thinks of you?" you ask Agent Williams, ignoring Ellie.

"Be my guest!" she almost laughs.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, the local FBI branch is working the Flores Cartel, their biggest organized crime takedown in fifteen years… And yet, you're stuck helping us with this," you reply.

"Oh, no HE didn't!" Ellie gasps, eyes getting wider.

"What are you implying?" the Special Agent asks, furrowing her eyebrows.

"She must have pissed someone off…" Ellie whispers to you.

"You must have pissed someone off," you repeat like a robot.

"…" Special Agent Williams doesn't reply.

"I'm right, aren't I? You're on crap detail," you say. 'Detective Score Up!' appears above your head once again.

"WHY DOES IT KEEP SAYING THAT?!" Ellie screeches.

You both turn around in your seats to give her strangle looks.

"Oh, just go back to your conversation," she waves you both off, frustratingly.

"I'll admit I'm not on the best of terms with my District Chief…" she trails off.

"Aha! I'm so good at this guessing game!" Ellie exclaims.

"I knew it!" you brighten up. "What'd you do? Blow a major lead? Get too cozy with a reporter? Did you shoot someone you weren't supposed to?"

"How about you leave the profiling to me, Detective?" she asks, narrowing her eyes at you.

"All right, all right. Just keep your gun holstered around me, okay?" you ask, still grinning.

"I make no promises," she states.

"Is she… flirting?!" Ellie asks, excitedly.

You and Agent Williams (and Ellie) approach an upscale nightclub in Chinatown. The words 'Zen Club' hang over the door in bright neon.

"So how'd you recognize the stamp, anyway? You don't seem like the karaoke type," Special Agent Williams asks you, sounding amused.

"You're only saying that because you haven't heard me sing," you wink at her.

"A teenage rebel AND a singer?! Ah, I think I'm in Heaven!" Ellie swoons once again.

You both ignore her.

"Oh really?" Special Agent Williams asks.

"That and I know the owner here. Shady guy, but he helped us out with an investigation a while back," you inform her.

You step into the bar. It's before business hours, but a few of the staff are already setting up.

"Ah crap, it's you. Listen, I already told the last cop, I had no idea those kids were under 21," the club owner explains, frowning.

"Relax, Milo. This isn't about your liquor license," you reply. "There's been a homicide. We have reason to believe the victim was here last night."

"We want to know about a redhead in her 20s, with a tattoo of a constellation on her lower back. That ring any bells?" Special Agent Williams chimes in.

"Yeah, yeah, I know the one. She's a regular," Milo grins.

"Um, how does he know she has a tattoo of a constellation on her lower back? Does that mean he's been looking at her butt?" Ellie asks, disgustingly.

You all ignore her.

"Hey, wait… Is she… You know…" Milo trails off.

"Just tell us. Was she with anyone?" you ask him.

"A guy! She was with a guy, I bet!" Ellie chimes in.

"Yeah, yeah, she was talking to Jared," he says.

"Jared?" you ask, raising your eyebrow.

The owner jerks his thumb across the room. Behind the bar, a muscular young man wipes down shot glasses.

"Hey, Jared! Some cops are here to see you," Milo calls to him.

"Oh, uh, just give me one sec…" Jared mutters.

"You better get ready. He's about to make a run for it," Ellie hints, nudging you.

Jared steps away from the bar, tosses down his towel…

…Then bolts through the kitchen door!

"I told you," Ellie smarts, looking proud of herself.

"Damn! He's getting away!" you shout. You jump the bar and grab the door handle! It's locked!

"Kick the door in!" Ellie shouts.

You kick the door in! It flies off its hinges in a spray of wooden splinters! You, Special Agent Williams, and Ellie rush through!

"Hey! You'd better be paying for that!" the owner, Milo, yells after you.

Jared races through the kitchen, speeding towards the rear exit!

"Freeze!" you yell at him. In return, Jared grabs a steel saucepot off a rack and hurls it at your head!

"Duck!" Ellie screams.

You duck under the pot! It clatters harmlessly behind you! Jared sprints around the stoves and streaks out the back door!

"Stay on him!" you shout to Special Agent Williams.

"I am!" she shouts back at you.

You burst out the door after Jared, dart through a tight alley, and emerge onto a crowded street!

"Where the hell is he?" Agent Williams yells frustratingly.

"Keep your eyes sharp!" you yell. You look for the suspect and his distinctive…

You try to remember what color hair he had.

"He had brown hair!" Ellie shouts to you.

Suddenly, you spot him. "There! Down by the street!"

"FBI! Get out of the way!" Special Agent Williams yells to the passerby.

The two of you sprint towards Jared! He spins around desperately, then darts into the street!

"Jesus!" you yell. Horns blare and bellow! An SUV swerves right by Jared, nearly clipping him! He stumbles, pulls himself up, and keeps running!

"I got him!" Special Agent Williams yells to you. She runs after him… Right into the path of an oncoming city bus!

"Mal, push her out of the way!" Ellie yells to you.

You propel Special Agent Williams and yourself forward, shooting past the bus!

"Thanks for the assist," she nods at you, gratefully.

Up ahead, Jared keeps running.

"I got this!" you exclaim, confidently.

Jared makes it to the sidewalk on the other side of the street. You sprint after him… Hop over the dash of a cab… Get right on his heels…

You hesitate on what to do next.

"Tackle him!" Ellie yells.

You tackle Jared, smashing him into the curb! "Gotcha!" you exclaim. A wave of 'Detective Score Up!' runs over your head.

"Tell me that I'm not the only one who saw that!" Ellie yells, looking around wildly at bystanders.

"Aaaaagh! Damn, man! Get off me, pig!" Jared yells.

You dig into Jared's pockets and find a baggie of little white pills… "I'm guessing these aren't prescription. What are they? Roofies? GHB? Your secret weapon when it comes to knocking girls out at the club?"

"I'm not saying anything until I talk to my attorney!" Jared exclaims, angrily.

A few minutes later, you, Agent Williams, and Ellie stand on the sidewalk. Uniformed officers have taken Jared down to the station.

"Man…" Ellie exclaims, bent over, still trying to catch her breath. "I don't know how you guys run every day! Geez!"

You both ignore her.

"That was a pretty close call with that bus," you hint at Special Agent Williams.

"Yeah, I… It was…" she trails off.

"You doing all right, Special Agent?" you ask, sincerely.

"I… I am. Thank you, Detective," she says, still sounding shaken up. You wince at her calling you 'Detective.'

"Please. Call me Mal," you tell her.

"Oooh! Yeahhhh! Call him Malllll!" Ellie wiggles her eyebrows, nudging Agent Williams. Agent Williams rolls her eyes, huffing, and walks away.

"Hm, tough crowd…" Ellie mutters to you.

"Tell me about it…" you reply, shaking your head in amazement at the new FBI Agent.

Back at the precinct…

Before you and Special Agent Williams go into the interrogation room to speak with Jared, Captain Yeong pulls you aside.

"So, think the kid did it?" she asks.

"Maybe… I don't know. He could be, but that just seems like it'd be too easy. " Ellie says, wrinkling her nose.

"Could be. Jared's connected to the victim, but we won't know if he killed her until we speak to him," you reply, just as 'Detective Score Up!' pops up over your head.

"Tell me that you see that, too!" Ellie begs Captain Yeong, pointing over your head to the words just now disappearing.

"I'm sorry?" Captain Yeong asks, confused.

"Oh my GOODNESS!" She yells in frustration.

Captain Yeong then decides to ignore her and go back to your conversation. "Good to see you're not getting ahead of yourself, Detective. What about you, Agent Williams? What's your take?"

"He fits the standard serial killer profile. Mid 20s. White. Prior relationship with the victim," she pauses. "But he also works in a highly social profession. Serial killers tend to be detached and awkward around strangers."

"I doubt that'll be enough for a jury, Special Agent," Captain Yeong says.

Eric walks over. "Detective, I've got that analysis of the drugs Jared was carrying. It's a morphine derivative called hydromorphone or hydro."

"Sounds cool!" Ellie butts in.

"I know hydro. It's popular with club kids who like a medicine cabinet high," you say, ignoring Ellie.

"Overdoses cause dizziness, light-headedness, blackouts…" Eric trails off.

"So it could've been what the killer used to incapacitate Sophie?" Agent Williams asks.

"No! It was an injection! Not pills! Remember?" Ellie shouts.

"We'll need the completed tox screen to know for certain, but it's certainly plausible. Then again, it's also possible your suspect's just using them to get high," Eric states.

"Thanks, Eric. I think it's time we had our little chat with Jared," you say.

You, Agent Williams, and Ellie sit down across from Jared and his lawyer in the interrogation room.

"Hello, I'm Catherine Krutzik, I'll be handling Jared's case. You should know that I've advised my client not to speak," the lawyer informs you.

"Ugh. I have a feeling that we'll be seeing her a lot in years to come…" Ellie groans.

"That's okay," you reply to the lawyer. "All he needs to do is listen."

"Yeah! This is about murder!" Ellie exclaims.

"This is about murder," you repeat.

"Murder?! Why's he talking about murder?" Jared panics.

"Jared, let me handle this," the lawyer soothes him.

"But…" Jared frowns.

"I said, stay quiet," she snaps.

"Oooh feisty lawyer…" Ellie whispers.

"Well, Officer, you've succeeded in unnerving my client. Now explain yourself," she snaps at you.

"My pleasure," you reply as a 'Detective Score Up!' appears.

Ellie grits her teeth angrily. "You see that?" she asks Jared. His eyes widen and he shakes his head.

"Ugh!" Ellie groans, forming her hands into fists, and banging her head on the table dramatically.

You clear your throat, gaining everyone's attention again, and begin. "Last night, Sophie Patterson went to the Zen Lounge. Six hours later, she was found dead. Jared, as far as we know, you're the last person who saw her alive."

"Wait… What?! You're saying Sophie…" he trails off.

"Well, yeah, he just said that," Ellie rolls her eyes.

"Is dead." You finish for him. "And right now, the evidence isn't looking good for you. Last one to see her alive… Access to illegal drugs… Trust me. It'll be better if you start talking now."

You decide on whether to ask him or accuse him.

"Ask him," Ellie whispers.

"What can you tell me about Sophie?" you ask.

"…Sophie?" Jared asks, frowning. Tears well up in Jared's eyes. "Sophie's just this girl, you know. Cute, fun… We even hooked up a couple of times. Mostly though, she came to me when she wanted to party."

'Detective Score Up!' appears above your head as you ask, "And last night?"

Ellie bangs her head on the table once again. "Where do these things keep coming from?!"

Jared ignores her. "She found me. I fixed her a drink, but that's it! I wouldn't sell her anything harder."

"Why not?" you ask, curiously.

"Because she looked like she'd already been partying. Unsteady on her feet, you know? Last I saw, she was stumbling towards the rear exit, and then…" he stops.

"And then?" you ask, impatiently.

"And then nothing. She was just gone. I figured she'd bailed," he finishes.

A few minutes later, you and Agent Williams watch as uniformed officers escort Jared back to the holding cells.

"Well, any luck verifying my client's alibi?" the lawyer asks you.

"Yeah. The club owner confirmed Jared was still mixing Mai Tais at Sophie's time of death," Agent Williams confirmed.

"Very good. I want it noted that my client cooperated fully with your investigation," the lawyer says, sticking her nose up in the air.

Captain Yeong walks over to the two of you. "I think we've done all we can today, at least until the Medical Examiner comes back with a full autopsy report tomorrow."

"I have enough information to draw up a profile. I'll have it ready by tomorrow morning," Agent Williams nods to her.

"Go home and get some rest. I'll want you both alert tomorrow," she orders.

You, Agent Williams, and Ellie walk out of the office. The night is cold, and the sky is hidden behind thick clouds.

"Need a lift to your hotel?" you ask Agent Williams, politely.

"It's not far. I'll walk," she politely refuses.

"You did well out there today, you know. Even if we didn't get the right guy," you smile slightly.

"You weren't bad yourself, Detec… Er… Mal," she grins, a slight blush dusting over her cheeks.

"This is getting interesting," Ellie grins evilly.

"You have a good night, Special Agent Williams," you nod to her, starting to walk away.

"You too," she says, walking off.

A moment later, Ken walks up to you. "That your new Fed partner? She's one good-looking woman. Think I'd have a shot with her?"

"As far as I can tell? She'd break you in half," you joke.

"Heh! You happy to be back on the force?" he asks, smiling.

"Yeah, I am. I just wish I'd come back under better circumstances."

"Well, I bet your wife's happy you're not lying around on the couch all day. How's she doing, by the way?" he asks. "Things still good with you and Sandra?"

"Ugh. I forgot he had a wife!" Ellie cries to herself.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah. Couldn't be better," you stutter.

"Do I detect a suspicion here?" Ellie says, raising her eyebrows.

"All right, Mal. I'll catch you later. Don't be a stranger," Ken nods at you.

You drive home and park outside the street. You walk up the stairs and into… A lonely, empty apartment. The lights are off, and packed boxes sit everywhere.

"Well, this is suspicious…" Ellie mutters to herself, looking around.

"Damn. The light's still out. I really ought to fix that one of these days," you think to yourself, not noticing Ellie in your home.

Somewhere on the far side of the room, your answering machine is blinking.

"Go check it!" Ellie whispers.

You walk over to your answering machine and hit 'play.'

"Hey Mal. It's, um, me. I wanted you to know that I'm going to come by at the end of the week to pick up the last of my stuff. I know you're not going to return this call, because you don't want to deal with this or anything else… Just don't make this difficult, okay? I'll leave my key when I'm done. Goodbye, Mal." The machine beeps.

"Well, that's not what I needed to hear right now," You think to yourself.

"Who in the world was that?!" Ellie asks herself.

You walk over to the TV and flip it on. 'As we reported earlier, the serial killer known as 'The Maskmaker' has claimed a third, as yet unidentified, victim. Police Captain Maria Yeong has reportedly assigned controversial Detective Mal Fallon to lead the task force…'

"I'm 'controversial' now? That's a step up," you think. You flip off the TV.

"Talk about one hell of a day…" you think, stretching. You shove past the stacks of boxes, open the bedroom door, and sprawl on the small bed. Sleep doesn't come easily.

 _ ***Chapter One completed***_

 _ **Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that! Please review and let me know if I should continue with this story! Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **Love always,**_

 _ **bugreid**_ __


	2. Chapter 2

_***Author's Note***_

 _ **Hi guys! I'd just like to thank everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter of this story! This story is just so much fun to type. I love it! Anyways, I think this might be the fastest I've ever updated. Twice in one week… Wow. Now, for review replies:**_

 **The Beautiful Filth:**

 _Thank you! I agree this fandom has been way too quiet lately! This review made me smile so much! Thank you again! That means so much to me!_

 **Katlana Child:**

 _Thank you so much! This review made me smile so much. I'm glad this story isn't boring to you. Lol. I hope you have a wonderful day, also!_

 _ **Please don't forget to read and review! It makes writing so much easier when I have positive (or negative) feedback! Now, here's…**_

 **The Adventures of a Fangirl**

 _Volume 1:_

 _ **Chapter 2:**_

 _ ***You are now Special Agent Natara Williams.***_

You sit at the table in your hotel suite. Early morning sunlight shines in through the blinds. In front of you, your laptop is open.

"What should I research?" you ask to yourself.

Ellie peeks over your shoulder to look at the computer screen. "You should definitely research Detective Mal Fallon's file," she speaks up.

You jump in your seat, wondering what she's doing in your hotel room. "What are you doing here?!"

"Ah, don't worry about me. Just research Detective Mal Fallon's file. Do it now," she orders, waving you towards the computer screen.

You decide to research Detective Mal Fallon's file. "Well… Why not, right? Let's just call up the police database…" You think to yourself, shrugging.

'Detective Mal Fallon. Birthday: June 9th, 1978.' The computer screen pops up.

"So that means Mal is… 33 years old?" Ellie asks, figuring it up in her head.

"Yeah, I guess so," you shrug.

"…How old are you?" Ellie asks, curiously.

You wave her off. "I'll tell you later." You focus your attention back to the computer screen.

"Eleven years of service… Decorated twice… Quite an impressive record of solved homicides…" you think to yourself, impressed. "Huh, this is interesting. Concerns about reckless behavior… A few citations for disorderly conduct… Several confrontations with authority figures…"

You start to read a little more, when your phone rings!

"Who's that?" Ellie asks.

"It's District Chief Blaire…" you think to yourself, biting your lip nervously.

You answer the phone. "Hello, sir."

"Put it on speaker phone so I can hear!" Ellie exclaims.

You roll your eyes and put your phone on speaker.

"Special Agent Williams. How's the investigation going?" District Chief Blaise asks.

"Well…" you start.

"Just say it is going as expected," Ellie whispers to you.

"It's proceeding as expected," you mimic.

"Oh?" he asks.

"I've prepared a preliminary psychological profile of the killer and am cooperating with local police forces," you inform him.

"Good, good. I appreciate your diligence."

"Thank you, sir."

'Detective Score Up!' appears above your head.

"It appears above YOUR head, TOO?! I thought that was only for Mal!" Ellie yelled, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"I shouldn't have to remind you that you are being watched very closely on this assignment, Agent Williams. Very closely," he warns in a threatening voice.

"Wow, what a dick," Ellie comments, pursing her lips.

"I… I know, sir," you reply, sadly.

"After the Miami debacle, you're on extremely thin ice. Anything short of excellence will be unsatisfactory," he warns.

"I understand," you say.

Then, for once second, you relive that moment, six months ago… That dank, claustrophobic apartment… The sweltering Miami sun… The sobbing of an infant… And above all, the report of pistols and a howling shriek of pain.

Ellie notices that you've drifted off into a flashback for a moment.

"Um… Are you okay?" she asks, eyes wide.

"Is… Is there any word on Agent Mallory's recovery?" you ask Chief Blaire.

He hesitates. "…He's in physical therapy. There are some good signs but… They doubt he'll ever walk again."

"Dang, girl. What in the world did you do?!" Ellie asks, bewildered.

"…I have to go, sir. I'm giving a briefing at the station in half an hour," you say to Chief Blaire, ignoring Ellie.

"You've got one shot at this, Special Agent Williams. Don't screw it up," he threatens.

"She won't!" Ellie screams into the phone right after you hang up.

"What a douchebag!" Ellie exclaims, shaking her head. You give her a tight smile and begin to get dressed.

Fifteen minutes later, you stride into the police bullpen. Police detectives work busily.

"Well, Special Agent, have you prepared a profile for us to follow?" Detective Fallon strides up to you and asks.

"As a matter of fact, I have," you reply.

"If you need any help presenting it, let me know. The guys here can be a little rough," he warns you.

"Awww, he's already trying to protect you! It's the first of many!" Ellie coos.

For the first time since you arrived in San Francisco, you smile. "I think I'll be fine," you say, still grinning, slightly amused.

You then turn to the noisy room. Your demeanor completely changes.

" _ **Hey!**_ Eyes front and center! Now!" you yell, demandingly.

The room goes quiet. All eyes fall on you.

"Damn, girl. Maybe you don't need his protection after all," Ellie states, eyes wide, looking at Mal, whose eyes are also widened.

"I've prepared a profile of the Maskmaker that should help you exclude suspects who don't meet the necessary criteria. Based on my research, the age of the Maskmaker is most likely…" You pause for a second, thinking.

"Twenty to forty!" Ellie whispers to you.

"Twenty to forty," you mimic.

"That makes sense. The guy would need to be old enough to have refined his technique, but young enough to be physically intimidating," Mal says, backing you up.

"Exactly," you grin at him again, grateful for the assistance. "Next, we can expect the Maskmaker to be an…" You pause again.

"Introvert?" Ellie questions.

"Introvert," you finish.

"Someone that precise and compulsive has got to be an introvert. I can't imagine him telling raunchy jokes at the water cooler," Mal says.

Ellie turns around to look at him. "Why are you the only one responding?!"

Everyone decides to ignore her.

"Exactly," you reply to Mal. 'Detective Score Up!' appears above your head.

Ellie looks around, bewildered at all of the officers. "Come on! There has to be like 30 of you in here! Did ANYBODY see that?!"

Everyone looks back at her with raised eyebrows.

"Come on! Not one of you saw that?!" she exclaims, throwing her hands up. "This is getting ridiculous!"

You blink, confused, but continue your profile. "Finally, we can expect the Maskmaker to be…" You pause again.

"He's pretty smart?" Ellie offers.

"Highly intelligent," you finish.

"Exactly what I've been saying. If this guy were your average creep, he'd have slipped up already," Mal butts in.

"Why do you keep interrupting?!" Ellie asks him.

"What? I'm helping her out!" he replies.

"But why are you the only one doing it?"

All of the officers in the room stare at him.

He blushes and waves at you to continue.

"Absolutely," you finish, grinning. 'Detective Score Up!' appears once again.

"I'm not even going to ask…" Ellie mutters, shaking her head.

"The Maskmaker is methodical and disciplined. And given his access to pharmaceuticals, we can assume he has access to a hospital or clinic," you state.

"Like a doctor?" Captain Yeong asks.

"Could be. Or a vet or an orderly," you answer.

"Okay thanks, Agent Williams. I'm sure this profile will be a big help," Captain Yeong informs you. "Everyone, get back to work."

Detective Fallon strides up to you as everyone else is leaving. "Not bad, Special Agent. Then again, it was nothing my gut didn't already tell me…" He teases.

"Yeah, yeah…" you roll your eyes, smiling.

"Are you guys flirting?!" Ellie asks, hands covering her mouth in shock.

You both roll your eyes and ignore her.

"Come on. Let's swing by the lab and see if the techs have found anything," Mal suggests.

Mal leads you down into a sophisticated crime lab in the basement of the police station. Eric stands over a microscope, going over a series of slides.

"Ah. Detective Fallon. Special Agent…" he trails off, a confused look on his face. "Well, actually, I'm not sure I caught your name."

"Special Agent Williams," you reply.

"That's right. Williams. Distinctly Anglo-Saxon… Welsh, if I'm not mistaken. Surprising for someone of ostensibly South-Asian descent…" he trails off, eyeing you.

"Uh…" you stutter, looking at Mal for help.

"That is crazy weird…" Ellie tells him. "How in the world did you know that?!"

Mal intervenes, coming to your rescue. "Let's skip the genealogy lesson. Eric, did you find anything in Sophie's autopsy?"

"Bruising on her lungs and throat suggest mechanical asphyxiation. Your death-by-mask theory certainly looks solid," he informs you.

"Did he identify what she was drugged with?" Ellie taps you on the shoulder and asks you.

"Did you identify what she was drugged with?" you repeat.

"Excellent question, but no. Whatever compound the killer used was out of her system by the time we found her," Eric replies.

"I was afraid you'd say that…" you trail off, just as 'Detective Score Up!' appears.

"Hey Agent Williams! Quickly take a step to the right!" Ellie exclaims.

You confusingly take a step to the right. The words 'Detective Score Up!' follows you, still above your head.

"Why does it do that?!" Ellie exclaims, just as it disappears.

"Why does what do what?" Mal asks, confused.

"Nothing… Just… Nevermind," Ellie says, shaking her head.

"I can tell it was a paralytic, hospital grade, but beyond that I've got nothing," Eric finishes, ignoring Ellie.

Suddenly, there's an excited squeal from the other side of the room. You turn and see a perky, young woman seated in front of a row of computers.

"Mal! Mal! I've got something!" she shrieks.

"Special Agent Williams, meet our technical analyst and data specialist, Amy Chen," Mal introduces you. "Amy, meet our FBI liasion, Natara Williams."

"Oh! Hi! Nice to meet you! You're really pretty!" Amy tells you in an excited tone.

"I like you. You're perky," Ellie comments, nodding her head.

"Now then, what did you find?" Mal asks.

Amy points to one of her monitors, where several complex images have been overlaid for comparison.

"We ran ammonium acetate and cross-acid absorption tests and discovered trace iron impurities in the quartz!" she explains in an excited tone.

"What?!" Ellie asks, bewildered.

"Um… What?" you ask. "I'm sorry but I have no idea what you just said." 'Detective Score Up!' appears.

"Do YOU see that? Tell me you see that!" Ellie asks Amy.

"See what?" Amy asks, looking around for the mysterious object.

"OH MY GOODNESS!" Ellie yells.

"That makes two of us!" Mal exclaims, in response to you.

"Oh. Sorry. What I meant to say was that I ran a chemical analysis on the plaster in the masks and found trace iron impurities in the quartz," she explains further.

"Uh… Okay. So?" Mal asks, raising an eyebrow.

"So this particular composition indicates that the plaster was imported from Southern Europe. Tuscany, if I'm not mistaken…" Amy trails off, thinking.

Amy's fingers dance across the keyboard at incredible speed. Images flash on the monitor faster than you can keep track.

"Holy cow…" Ellie says, eyes wide. "My head hurts…"

"Now we just bring up regional shipping manifests… Cross-reference them against local art supply specialty stores… And voila!" Amy exclaims, proudly. "There's only one business in the greater San Francisco area that imports its plaster directly from Southern Europe. It's called Italia Imports and Exports, and it's located down by the waterfront. And get this... According to their website, they also deal in exotic masks."

The three of you lean over the monitor.

"Well done, Amy," Eric compliments.

Mal turns to you. "Let's roll."

"Whoo! Yeah! Road trip!" Ellie exclaims, pumping her fist into the air.

Later, Mal drives you both down to the waterfront… You sit in the front seat while Ellie is asleep in the back.

"Your technician is quite the character," you bring up a conversation.

"Eric? Yeah, he can be pretty aloof… But he's damn smart," Mal replies.

"I was actually talking about Amy. You don't meet many people that chipper in our line of work. It's refreshing," you admit.

"Yeah, Amy's one of a kind. She's a technical genius, you know… There's no one out there that can work imaging and analysis software the way she can," Mal replies. "As far as I know, she grew up in a pretty sheltered home and hasn't had a ton of real-world experience. I think it helps her keep her distance. That and rarely leaving the lab. You and I look at murder victims and see husbands, wives, children… She only sees the puzzle."

"Hey. I think we're here," you mention.

You, Mal, and Ellie stand before a shabby building.

"This is it, Italia Imports and Exports," Mal says.

"Looks pretty crappy to me…" Ellie says.

"That's not your typical mall storefront, is it? Can't imagine it gets many customers…" you trail off.

"Me, I prefer buying my creepy deathmasks online," he jokes, making you and Ellie giggle.

"He's cute and he has a nice sense of humor. I'm liking him more every second!" Ellie says to you.

"Come on. Let's go in," Mal says, smiling slightly at the fact that he made you laugh.

You, Mal, and Ellie step into the building. The shelves are lined with exotic masks. A carved, wooden face with a straw mane stares down at you with blank eyes.

"Well, that's…" you start.

"Creepy!" Ellie exclaims, shuddering.

"Creepy," you mimic, eyeing the face.

"It was _meant_ to be." A tall, lanky man strides over.

"That's an Iroquois False Face mask. Tribal shamans used masks like that one to frighten off evil spirits," he informs you.

"Interesting," You murmur, just as 'Detective Score Up!' appears above your head.

"I'm too creeped out to worry about that right now…" Ellie mutters, hiding behind Mal.

"And you are…?" you ask him.

"Hello. My name is Boggs. Lance Boggs. Tell me, miss, are you a fellow mask aficionado? If so, you've come to the right place," he says.

"Actually, I'm Special Agent Williams of the FBI, and this is Detective Fallon," you introduce yourselves.

"That's… Unexpected. I take it this house call is in regards to the Maskmaker killings?" he asks. Mr. Boggs shiftily eyes the rear exit.

"Oh, he's about to run," Ellie calls.

"And why would you think that?" Mal asks, eyebrows furrowed.

"It, uh, hardly takes a genius to put two and two together, Detective," he stutters. "The Bureau wouldn't waste an agent on just any crime, and I do happen to share the Maskmaker's distinctive obsession."

"Mr. Boggs, we're here because the Maskmaker is using plaster acquired from _your_ business to murder innocent women," Mal informs him. "We need to take a look at your records."

"I'm afraid that would be a waste of your time, Detective. I run a _cash-only_ operation," he says, frowning. "As such, our records are rather… Incomplete."

"Gotcha. You don't want cops like me knowing about the black market antiques that move through this dump," Mal says, angrily.

"I assume you have evidence to back up that accusation, Officer, or do I need to call my attorney?" Mr. Boggs threatens.

"Go ahead. Make the call. We'll see who…" he starts.

You interrupt him. "Detective, take it easy."

"But…" he trails off, frowning.

"One moment please, Mr. Boggs," you ask him.

You, Ellie, and Mal step outside.

"What are you doing? That creep is lying to us. I can feel it," Mal says, eyebrows furrowing.

"Yeah, Agent Williams! He feels it in his gut!" Ellie takes up for him.

You ignore her. "I agree, but he's not going to cooperate with us if you keep badgering him, and we definitely don't have enough to book him. But I think if we play along with him, we can get him to talk," you explain.

"And what makes you so sure about that?" he asks, eyebrow raised.

"Because Lance Boggs is an unprincipled narcissist with an innate compulsion to impress those around him."

"…What?" Ellie asks.

"Okay, and that means…?" Mal asks, equally as confused.

"It means he'll talk to me if I push the right buttons," you reply.

"You've got ten minutes. I'll be listening in through the window," Mal tells you. "And be careful… He might not look like much, but he could be dangerous."

You enter the warehouse once again. Lance Boggs steps up behind you, holding a box cutter.

"Oh shit… Here we go," Ellie whispers, terrified.

"You again. What do you want?" Mr. Boggs asks. Behind you, Ellie blows a sigh of relief.

"I just wanted to apologize for my partner. He can be a little…" you pause, looking for the right words.

"Uncouth?" Ellie suggests.

"Uncouth," you finish.

"Uncouth. Boorish. Impertinent. He sickens me," he frowns.

'Detective Score Up!' appears. Ellie grits her teeth and tries not to interrupt.

"It's like Aristotle wrote. 'Those who render justice through force instead render all justice unjust,'" you finish.

"Ah! An educated woman!" Mr. Boggs grins. He steps closer. The box cutter glints. "Please, my dear. Allow me to show you something." Boggs slices open a nearby box to reveal three masks.

"Those are very impressive pieces," you comment.

"Oh really? Any piece in particular?" he asks.

You look into the box and see a black demon mask with horns and an evil grin… A white plaster mask of a woman's face… And a wooden mask with a human figure on top.

"Yes, I like…" you pause.

"That white mask looks like Sophie's!" Ellie whispers.

"The female mask," you say.

"Oh, you like the L'Inconnue de la Seine? Good choice. I must confess, it's a favorite of mine, as well," he says. "The original was created by a pathologist at the Paris Morgue in the late 1800s. He was so taken by the beauty of a drowned girl that he preserved the image of her face in plaster."

"Plaster mask. Body in the water. Kind of sounds like the Maskmaker, doesn't it?" you ask.

"Oh, you're right! Only in Sophie's case, the mask was made first, and then her body was dumped overboard," he says.

Ellie gasps in a corner. "How did he know her name?!"

"Did you just say 'Sophie'?" You ask, raising your eyebrow.

"Well, yes, the third victim… Is there something wrong?" he asks.

"Only that we deliberately kept Sophie's name out of the press," you furrow your eyebrows.

"Oh, heh, I'm sure I must've read it somewhere…" he stutters nervously.

"He's about to run!" Ellie whispers.

Mr. Boggs continues to stutter. "Because I…I…" He turns to run, but instead bumps into Mal. Mal slams Mr. Boggs against a shelf.

"Dang… Mal don't play," Ellie commented, impressed.

"Lance Boggs, you are under arrest for the murder of Sophie Patterson, Chanelle Pomeroy…" Mal starts.

"No! Wait! Wait! I'm not the Maskmaker! I've just been talking to him!" he pleads.

"What…?!" Mal exclaims.

"Please, allow me to explain. Follow me," he says, sadly. Mr. Boggs leads you, Mal, and Ellie into the back and opens up a laptop. "This morning, I received an instant message from an individual claiming to be the Maskmaker. He offered to sell me an 'original work.'"

"Oh my God, I think I'm going to be sick," Ellie states, gagging.

Mal scans the chat log. "Here it is. Whoever this is, he listed all three victims by name. Nobody but police should know that information."

"So this really could be our guy?" you ask, eyes widening.

"Yeah. Could be. Boggs, does this person emailing you have any idea what you look like?" Mal asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I… I don't think so. Please, you have to believe me. I never would've made the purchase," he begs.

"That's too bad, because you're about to," Mal says. He begins typing a reply.

"Wait. You… You're actually going to try to buy the mask?" you ask.

"Mal… WHY?! That's disgusting!" Ellie shrieks.

"Exactly. When the Maskmaker comes to deliver the merchandise, we'll be there to take him down. You got a problem with that?" Mal asks, smirking.

"No, I just think you should…" you think for a moment.

"Negotiate the price," Ellie suggests.

"Negotiate the price," you repeat.

"This could be our only shot at catching this guy. You really think we should be bargaining with him?" Mal asks.

"Absolutely. You're pretending to be Lance Boggs, remember? He may love masks, but he's also a shrewd businessman. He'd try for the best deal he can get," you finish.

"She's right, you know. I always lowball my opening bid," Mr. Boggs shrugs.

"Yeah, okay, that makes sense. Good thinking," Mal praises you.

"I'll try to pretend you didn't sound surprised," you reply as 'Detective Score Up!' appears above your head.

Ellie grits her teeth and swats at it.

Everyone stares at her, wondering why she's swatting at the empty space above your head. She then notices everyone staring at her and chuckles nervously. "Heh, heh… Sorry, guys. There was a, uh, fly. Don't worry though. I got it." She turns around and goes back to stand in her corner, blushing.

Everyone then decides to ignore her.

Mal cuts the offer by half and then presses 'send'.

"Now let's see what happens next," Mal says.

An instant message pops up. It shows an address in Portola.

"Hey! It worked!" you exclaim, smiling.

"Yeah, but it looks like he's only given us fifteen minutes to get there. We better get moving," he says, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Whoo! Another road trip!" Ellie exclaims, running out the door behind you and Mal.

Fifteen minutes later, Mal steers his unmarked police vehicle into a vacant lot.

"A little exposed, aren't we?" you ask.

"Guy probably wanted it that way. Wanted to scope us out before he made the exchange," Mal comments. "By the way, I loved your little performance back there. You usually beef up on Aristotle before shaking down suspects?" He asks, grinning.

You smile, knowingly. "Actually, I made that quote up on the spot. I haven't read Aristotle since high school."

"Who reads Aristotle in high school?" Mal asks, looking confused.

"Smart nerdy girls with crushes on their Honors English teachers. Now can we get back to the…" you start, but see something. "Hey, look! I bet that's our guy!"

A sleek, black sedan with tinted windows pulls into the lot. It flashes its lights twice.

"That's my cue," Mal says. He exits the vehicle and holds up a briefcase. "I brought the money just like you said."

The black sedan idles for a moment…

"Why isn't he getting out?" you think to yourself.

"He's about to run," Ellie mentions.

Then it revs its engine and speeds forward!

"Mal, watch out!" Ellie yells.

Mal leaps to the side as it flies right past him!

"Quick! Get in!" you yell.

Mal slides into the passenger seat. "Drive, Natara! Drive! He's getting away!"

You step on the gas and tear off after the black sedan! Mal flips on the siren! The two cars streak down the tight streets of San Francisco! A taxi swerves out of your way!

"Stay on him! Stay on him!" Mal yells.

"I am!" you yell back.

"Don't let him get away!" Ellie exclaims.

The black sedan spins onto a narrow street! You see it just barely swing by a dump truck backing out! The truck doesn't see you! It keeps backing out!

"Swerve!" Ellie yells.

You deftly swerve by the garbage truck!

"Good! Stay on him!" Mal exclaims.

The black sedan careens out of the alley and onto a crowded street! It swerves wildly between cars!

"The guy can drive, I'll give him that…" you mutter.

The black sedan makes a hard left, flying through a red light! A bus brakes to avoid it and collides with an SUV!

"He's on a one-way street! I know a shortcut that'll cut him off! Take the next left!" Mal informs you.

"But we'll lose him!" you cry.

"Trust me!" he yells.

"Yeah, trust him!" Ellie yells, also.

You decide to follow Mal's instructions.

"All right! I trust you!" you shout back.

"If this weren't a really intense moment, this would be really cute right now!" Ellie yells.

You drive past the streetlight and take the next left onto a tight downhill street!

"We got this… We got this…" Mal murmurs.

"Just take a left… Then a right… Then take another left at Dan Dan Dim Sum!" Mal orders.

You make a left… Then a right… Then you look for…

"Dan Dan Dim Sum!" Ellie yells, pointing to it.

You swerve left outside of Dan Dan Dim Sum, a fancy Chinese restaurant… And find yourself right behind the black sedan! You've almost got him!

"Perfect!" Mal praises.

You slam down on the gas and speed up right behind the black sedan!

"This is such an adrenaline rush! I might have a heart attack!" Ellie screams, holding her heart.

"I got you, you reckless sack of…" you start.

"Slam into his bumper!" Ellie orders.

You accelerate and slam into the black sedan's bumper!

"Whoa!" Mal yells, angrily.

The black sedan veers to the side and plows into a lamppost! The windshield shatters, and the street fills with the smell of burning rubber!

"Got him!" Mal exclaims.

"BUT YOU POSSIBLY DESTROYED MAL'S CAR!" Ellie shrieks.

"Good driving, Natara!" Mal praises you once again.

'Detective Score Up!' pops up above your head as you reply, "No problem!"

"I'm too busy trying to calm my racing heart to worry about that right now!" Ellie collapses in the back seat, breathing heavily.

You and Mal hop out of the car, with Ellie tagging along behind, draw your guns, and walk towards the wrecked sedan. You can see the driver, his face bloodied, fumbling with the door.

"Don't move!" you demand.

You throw open the door. The driver looks up at you… And reaches clumsily into his coat pocket!

"Natara! Threaten him or something before he shoots you!" Ellie whispers.

You decide to threaten him. "Hey! Keep your hands where I can see them, or I will splatter your head across that backseat! Now!"

"Whoa! Whoa! I'm just… Just getting… My ID…" the driver stutters.

The driver's hand falls weakly out of his coat, dropping his license into the road. Mal picks up the license.

"Ah hell. I thought I recognized this guy," Mal mutters.

"You do?" you ask.

"You do?" Ellie mimics.

"Yeah. Marvin Clemente. Real scumbag. Used to be a cop," Mal says, angrily. "He worked Narcotics until he got booted from the force three years ago for taking bribes. Rumor has it he was supporting a gambling addiction."

"And I'm guessing he recognized you too, and that's why he fled the scene," you observe.

Mal pulls Marvin out of the car and slaps a pair of cuffs on him!

"Marvin Clemente, you're under arrest for the murders of Chanelle Pomeroy, Kirsty Barnett, and Sophie Patterson…" you start.

"Murder… I didn't… Murder nobody…" he muttered weakly.

"You swore an oath to serve and protect, you bastard! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Mal yells at him. He grabs Marvin by the collar and slams him back against the frame of the car!

"Dang… You should get him," Ellie says, pointing at an angry Mal.

You decide to pull Mal back.

"Mal! Leave him alone! He's already injured! The last thing we need is a police brutality charge!" you yell at him. 'Detective Score Up!' appears above your head.

Ellie is standing there, watching the whole scene with wide eyes, completely ignoring the words.

You pull Mal back. He takes a deep breath and steps away.

"You… You're right. I'm sorry," he apologizes. "It's just… There's nothing that pisses me off more than a crooked cop."

"I see. It strikes a nerve, then?" you ask.

"Let's just say it hits close to home," he replies.

"What the heck just happened?!"Ellie says slowly, looking scared to death.

"Now come on. Let's get this piece of crap down to the station," Mal says.

A few hours later, you talk to District Chief Blaire on the phone…

"Good work this morning, Agent Williams. I heard you successfully apprehended your suspect," he praises.

"Yes, sir," you reply.

"This will go over well at your review. Do you believe Clemente is really the Maskmaker?" he asks.

"Well, it's too early to say. He's in the hospital right now with four broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and a concussion. And they've got him too doped up on painkillers for interrogation," you explain.

Mal walks over and gestures for you to hang up.

"Uh, I have to go, sir. Something's come up. I'll call you back," you say, before hanging up.

"What's going on?" you ask Mal.

"Marvin's not our guy," Mal says, gritting his teeth.

"What? What are you talking about?" you ask, confused.

"What?! Even after that huge car chase?!" Ellie exclaims.

"As soon as the word came in that he was a suspect, a secretary in Evidence Control called our unit and confessed to being his girlfriend. It turns out the two of them were running quite the little racket. She fed him information about the Maskmaker case…" he starts.

"He made the masks!" Ellie concludes.

"And he made replica masks," you finish. "That's just perverse." Once again, 'Detective Score Up!' pops up.

"Does this thing only show up when I answer?!" Ellie asks to herself.

"There's a huge market for murderbilia, souvenirs used in real crimes… Dahmer's drill, Gacy's clown mask, the Unabomber's typewriter…" Mal trails off. "You'd be amazed what these things can go for online. We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars."

"So Clemente's not guilty, just a common hustler trying to pass out replica masks as the real thing," you repeat, sadly.

"My heart breaks for him," Mal says, sarcastically. "Listen. We know Boggs didn't keep books, but he did log the names of repeat buyers in his computer. It's a long shot, but we might find a connection there. You should swing by the lab. Eric wanted to get your DNA on file."

"What for?" you ask.

"Standard procedure. You're going to be all over these crime scenes, and they need a way to screen you out."

"Oh. Right. I'll head down there. Good luck with the files."

You head down to the lab. Under the hum of the fluorescent lights, Amy is examining some sediment samples.

"Hey, is Eric around? I need to have my DNA input into your system…" you say.

"He's down at the morgue, actually, going over the autopsy report… But I can do that for you!" she chirps.

You settle down with Amy. She swabs your mouth and begins processing the sample…

"Thanks, Amy. I hope it's not an imposition…"

"Are you kidding? I don't mind at all! Do you know how rarely I get to talk to another girl down here?" she smiles at you.

"Um, I'm here too, you know?" Ellie speaks up.

You both ignore her.

"I can imagine. For what it's worth, you're doing a great job," you smile back at her. "A couple more leads like that, and we'll nail this guy."

"Thanks but… You know, I really can't take too much credit. It was Eric's idea…" She looks away sadly. "Can I… Um… Ask you a personal question?"

"Sure, I suppose."

"Yeah, go ahead! I wanna know what this is about!" Ellie says, excitedly.

"Have you ever been… Interested in one of your colleagues? You know… Romantically?" she asks you.

"Oh, don't tell me… You're interested in…" You think for a moment.

"Well, Mal's married so it has to be Eric!" Ellie decides.

"Eric," you repeat.

"You… How did you know?" she asks, shocked. "Am I really that obvious?"

"I'm a profiler. This is what I do." 'Detective Score Up!'

"Profiler, my butt. You wouldn't have gotten that detective score up if it weren't for me telling you who she liked!" Ellie grumbles.

"So… Have you ever been involved with a colleague?" Amy asks.

"Yeah, Natara. Have you?" Ellie echoes.

"…Yes. Once. It didn't end well," you reply.

"Did you guys break up?" Amy asks.

"Something like that. He was shot," you frown.

Ellie and Amy gasp.

"That's terrible!" Ellie exclaims.

"Oh! I'm… I'm sorry!" Amy says.

"It's okay. I've… Come to terms with it. The truth is, we're in a high-stress line of work. Blending that with romance can be risky."

"I know, I know. It's just… Eric and I spend a lot of time in the lab together, and… I know he can seem prickly, but he does have a really sweet side," she sighs dreamily. "Sometimes, when we talk, it seems like he's almost ready to open up to me… But I worry about taking that step. What do you think I should do?"

"Aw, that's so cute! Tell him how you feel!" Ellie shrieks.

"You should tell him how you feel," you echo.

"Really?" Amy asks.

"Well, I shouldn't officially say anything… But yeah. You spend enough time looking at murder victims, you start to realize life's too short to hide your feelings," you reply.

"Wow, thanks! No offense, but I really didn't expect that from you!" she exclaims.

"Am I that cold?" you grin.

"Well… Maybe a little…" Amy frowns. Her tech equipment beeps.

"There! Done! Now you're in our system!" she chirps.

"Thank you, Amy!" you reply.

You turn to walk away when Amy stands up. "You're… You're going to stop this guy, right? Before he kills another girl?" she asks.

"I hope so, Amy. I hope so," you reply, sadly.

You are now high school sophomore Brittany Emerson. You stand barefoot on the soft sands of East Beach. A huge bonfire rages in front of you, surrounded by other high schoolers.

"…Where am I? Where's Mal and Natara?" Ellie asks, looking around, confused.

You ignore the girl by the water, who is looking around wildly.

"Brittany! I didn't think you were going to show! This party is awesome!" Monica Patel exclaims to you.

"Well, I totally shouldn't have. If my parents knew I was out here, they would flip… It's bad enough that I'm out at a party… But with the whole Maskmaker thing going on, they're completely on edge…" you say, sadly.

"Wait…" Ellie says to herself. "Is this girl about to die? Tell me this little girl isn't about to die!"

No one hears her.

Suddenly, a firm hand grabs your shoulder!

"Hey, Brittany! You talking about the Maskmaker?" Greg Chapman asks. "Don't worry about him. If that sick piece of crap comes by here, my boys and I will take care of him."

"Oh my God, don't say that… He's probably hiding somewhere around here…" Ellie whispers, eyes wandering around.

Greg mock-punches the air a few times. "Now grab a cup! Drinks are in the cooler." He runs off.

"Okay. Admit it. He is ridiculously hot," Monica looks after him, grinning.

"Ridiculously hot? Have you seen him? He has _**green**_ hair!?" Ellie exclaims.

"He's not really my type," you say.

"And what is your type? A science textbook and a late night studying?" Monica teases you.

"I just like a guy I can have an actual conversation with… And not about his six-pack abs," you grin at her.

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna go have a great conversation with his six-pack abs…" Mona giggles.

Your cell phone beeps. It's a text from your little sister. 'Mom wants to know where u r…'

"Oh shoot… I have to take this. Be right back!" you exclaim. You walk away from the noise of the party towards the isolated bushes at the end of the beach.

"Honey, that's not a good idea. Do not go over there alone!" Ellie exclaims, but you ignore her.

You dial your home number, and your mother answers.

"Brittany? Sweetie? Where are you?" your mom asks over the phone.

"Uh… I'm…" You stutter.

"Just say you're at your friend's house!" Ellie whispers to you, then clamps a hand over her own mouth. "I can't believe I'm helping you lie! NO! Tell your mother the truth before you die!"

"Sleeping over at Mona's house," you reply, ignoring Ellie and rolling your eyes.

"You… You didn't mention that to me… You know how I feel about that girl…" your mom says.

"I promise we're not getting into trouble. We just need to finish this project for computer class," you lie.

"Well… If it's for school… I supposed it's okay."

"It's fine, Mom. I promise. I love you."

"Love you too, sweetie. Be safe."

You hang up.

"Phew!" you think to yourself.

"Go home, girl! Run while you still can!" Ellie whispers.

You take a step back towards the party…

Suddenly, two firm hands grab you and jerk you back into the bushes!

"Oh, God. It's happening! I told you to run!" Ellie yells.

A rough, gloved hand clamps over your mouth, and another presses down on your throat!

"Don't scream. Don't. Scream," the Maskmaker threatens.

You scream anyways. "Mmmmmmm!" The hand around your throat tightens! You choke for air!

"I said _don't scream!"_ the Maskmaker demands.

"Get out of there!" Ellie yells.

You struggle. "Mmmmm!"

You writhe and kick! The man jerks your head up and slams it in the dirt!

"I don't want to hurt you. You're just… You're too beautiful," the masked man states.

"Okay, this just got all kinds of creepy…" Ellie shudders.

You continue to struggle. You thrust your knee up into the man's gut!

"Uff!" he exclaims.

He twists himself around and puts his weight on your chest.

"Keep fighting!" Ellie encourages.

You continue to struggle. You jerk up, shoving the man aside! You stagger to your feet and lunge forward out of the bushes…

"Run, girl, run!" Ellie yells.

The man grabs you and pulls you back! Your head slams against the ground! You gasp for air… The man reaches into his coat and then towards your throat! You feel the sting of a syringe, the intense pressure of an injection…Then you go numb.

"Oh, no, not the injection again! That's totally cheating!" Ellie complains.

"Hhhhh…" you groan.

The man kneels down and runs his hand along your face. "You look just like her… Just like her…"

You struggle to move, but your limbs are dead weight!

"So beautiful… And so disgusting… A stain… You might be the one, you know. You might be the one."

You stare up at his blank, cold mask…

"I just need to see your true face," he says.

"WHAT DOES THAT _**MEAN**_?!" Ellie screams before everything goes black.

 _ ***Chapter 2 completed***_

 _ **Thanks again for reading! Don't forget to review, please!**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **bugreid**_


	3. Chapter 3

***** _ **Author's Note***_

 _ **Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't been able to type much… It's been a rough couple of weeks. Long story short, the guy that I was completely in love with started doing bad things and told my best friend about it, who then told me. So I had to break up with him. Then he told me that he's been planning on breaking up with me for months and started admitting to all of this other terrible stuff that he's been lying to me about for over a year now… So yeah. It's been rough. I still miss him a lot, even though I shouldn't… And I still see him every day at school, so it's been rough. Then, some people have been telling me that he's been hanging out with this girl I don't like over at her house all the time. Needless to say, it's been pretty hard.**_

 _ **Sorry for just spilling out my feelings. You guys probably don't want to hear all of my life stories but it feels good to get that out of my system. Anyways, on with the review replies!**_

 **The Beautiful Filth:**

 _Thank you so much! That explains Ellie to a T! Although they can see her, they just all choose to ignore her, lol. Thank you for reviewing!_

 **Katlana Child:**

 _Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You always make my day!_

 **Kenz:**

 _Hi! Thank you for your sweet words! You definitely made my day with your review! Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

 _ **Please don't forget to review! It always makes my day!**_

 _ **Also, I'm sorry if this chapter isn't that humorous… I tried my best, but I think I might have a small case of writer's block! Anyways, here is…**_

 **The Adventures of a Fangirl**

 _Volume 1:_

 _ **Chapter 3:**_

 _ ***You are now Detective Mal Fallon of the San Francisco Police Department.***_

You, Natara, and Ellie step onto a cold, sandy beach. Police officers huddle around the pale corpse of a teenage girl, slumped against a rock. A featureless plaster mask covers her face.

Ellie covers her eyes in horror. "Please don't tell me that's the little girl who was at the party last night…"

You both ignore her.

"She's just a kid…" you say, frowning sadly.

Captain Yeong walks over. "It just breaks your heart. A girl like that with her whole life ahead of her… You bring this guy in, Detective Fallon," she says, furrowing her eyebrows. She then storms away.

"Your captain seems unusually agitated…" Natara speaks up, looking after her.

"Yeah, well…" you trail off, thinking of what to say.

"It's getting personal!" Ellie cries, dramatically.

"It's getting personal," you mimic. "Captain Yeong has a daughter about the same age. You do your best to separate your home life from work, but… Sometimes you can't create enough distance."

"Speaking from experience?" she asks, raising her eyebrow.

"Yeah, Mal, are you speaking from experience?" Ellie repeats, pursing her lips.

You play with your wedding band. "Forget it. We've got work to do," you shrug their questions off, frowning.

"No, I wanna know!" Ellie exclaims, furrowing her eyebrows curiously.

You and Natara kneel by the body.

"The victim's dry. Based on the way her blood's settling, I'm guessing she was placed here last night," Natara observes.

"That's right! I saw it happen! I can tell you everything!" Ellie interjects, although everyone ignores her.

Natara continues, "Clothes are ripped. Defensive wounds on her hands and forearms…"

"Yes, she did try to defend herself!" Ellie interrupts.

"Definitely signs of a struggle…"

"She tried to get away and he tackled her!" Ellie chanted.

"And I see a small injection mark at the base of her neck," Natara continues, ignoring her.

"Yeah! That's when he drugged her and she couldn't move!" Ellie exclaims.

Natara purses her lips, "Generally, this seems consistent with the previous murders…"

"No. There's something different here. The other victims weren't…" you pause, trying to think of what to say.

"Placed! They were just dumped in the ocean!" Ellie finishes for you.

"Placed," you repeat.

"You're right. The other girls were dumped in the water and then drifted ashore… But this one is completely dry. She was killed on land…" Natara trails off.

'Detective Score Up!' drifts above your head. Ellie simply glares at it. "I thought I'd gotten rid of you…"

"Exactly. The question is _why_ ," you say to Natara, ignoring Ellie.

"Because the Maskmaker didn't have time to fully ritualize this kill. For some reason, he acted on _impulse_ ," Natara replies.

"DUN, DUN, DUN, DUUUUUNNNNNNN!" Ellie sings, dramatically. You and Natara both roll your eyes, ignoring her.

"He took a shortcut. And when people take shortcuts, they get sloppy. The Maskmaker might have just made his first mistake," you say, smirking.

Officer William Rye walks over to you. "Mal, ID on the vic just came back positive. Name is Brittany Emerson. Here's her home address. Captain wanted you and Agent Williams to talk to the family," he states.

"And me too, right?" Ellie smiles widely at him. "Uh, sure," he states, shrugging.

"Thanks. We're on it," you interrupt.

A little while later, you and Natara approach a large two-story home. Several police cars are parked outside. Captain Yeong is waiting for you.

"Woah, how did she get here before we did?!" Ellie exclaims, eyes widened.

"Got anything?" you ask the Captain.

"According to her family, Brittany Emerson was at her school last night working late on a project. She called around 8 o'clock to say that she'd be running late. She never came home," the Captain informs you.

"She wasn't at her school last night! She was at a party!" Ellie exclaims. "Oh, I knew I shouldn't have told her to lie to her parents!"

You all choose to ignore her.

"We'll talk to the family and see if we can get anything," You respond.

Natara lightly grabs your arm.

"Ooooh, indiscreetly feeling that bicep, huh, Natara? I see what you're doing," Ellie coos, smirking.

Natara rolls her eyes and returns her attention to you, who's slightly smirking at her comment.

"Mal, these people just suffered the most devastating news of their lives. They're likely consumed by grief, if not in shock," she says.

"I've talked to grieving victims before, Natara. What's your point?" you ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just saying, we should be careful and really think about what we say. I don't think we'll have much time to chat," she informs you.

You walk to the door where a tall, heavy-set man is leaning against the frame.

"Hello, sir. I'm Detective Mal Fallon with the SFPD, and this is Special Agent Williams of the FBI," you start but Ellie interrupts with, "And I'm Ellie, their helper." She grins at the man, proudly.

You choose to ignore her and continue. "We'd like to talk to you about your daughter."

"Oh, uh, of course. Of course. I'm… I'm Brittany's father. Please… Just come in," he invites.

You step inside. From the next room, there comes a steady sobbing.

"I'm going to cry," Ellie sniffles, wiping her nose.

"I apologize for the state of the place. We've been… I mean, first we were worried because Brittany didn't come home and now… Now…" he trails off.

"It's okay, Mr. Emerson…" you assure him.

"You've gotta find who did this!" Ellie whails.

"We'll find who did this," you repeat.

"I know you will, Detective, and I appreciate your effort. I just…" he stops, slumping down on the couch. "Is that going to bring my daughter back? Is that going to let me see her again and tell her I love her?"

You clear your throat. "Unfortunately, that's something no one can do. But we can make sure that the person who did this to her dies behind prison walls."

"…Then we'll help however we can," her father states.

"Mr. Emerson," Natara speaks up for the first time. "If you don't mind, we'd like to ask you and your family a few questions."

"Of course. We'll do anything we can to help with the investigation," Brittany's father nods. "Anna, my other daughter is upstairs, and Margaret, my wife, is in the next room. You can speak with them if you'd like."

"Natara was right. The family is upset. I'll probably only have time to talk to one of them," You think to yourself.

"We'd like to speak with…" you stop, wondering who to speak with first.

"Pick the sister!" Ellie whispers to you.

"Your daughter," you mimic.

"Well, if… If you think she'll be helpful…" Mr. Emerson trails off.

"I do," you respond, as a 'Detective Score Up!' appears.

"Excuse me, sir. I know you're all upset and stuff, but could you please tell me if you just saw those gigantic floating words?" Ellie asks Mr. Emerson.

Mr. Emerson raises an eyebrow. "I'm sorry…?" he asks, looking confused.

"Ugh, just nevermind," she waves him off.

You enter a teenage girl's room. Brittany's 12-year-old sister, Anna, sits on the bed hugging a pillow to her chest.

"Sniff… Sniff…" Anna sniffles through her tears.

"Hi there, Anna. My name is Mal, and this is Natara," you start but get interrupted yet again.

"And I'm Ellie. Geez, why do you never introduce me?!" Ellie says, offendedly.

You roll your eyes and continue. "We're here to ask you some questions about your sister," you explain to her, gently.

"Didn't… Didn't you talk to my parents? I don't know anything they don't…" she trails off.

"Well…" you start.

"She does know something!" Ellie exclaims, pointing at the little girl accusingly.

"We think you might," you say, nodding, as a 'Detective Score Up!' appears. "In my experience, kids don't always tell their parents what they're up to. But they do tell their brothers and sisters."

The little girl sniffles. "…So?" she asks.

You take a seat on the bed next to her.

"Now, according to your mother, Brittany stayed late after school to work on a class assignment. Is that true?" Natara asks, gently.

"Uh, it… I promised Brittany I wouldn't tell," Anna whispers.

"Just tell them where she was!" Ellie demands.

"Ignore her," you tell the little girl, shooing Ellie away. "Whatever it is, Anna, we need to know. You can trust us."

The little girl looks from Ellie to you and finally sighs. "…All right. I'll tell you. It was a stupid promise anyway. She… She wasn't working on her computer class project last night. That's just something she told Mom and Dad."

"Then where was she, Anna?" Natara asks.

"I'm telling you guys, she was at the party!" Ellie exclaims.

"She was… At this party. On East Beach," Anna admits, looking down.

"I told you guys!" Ellie shrieks.

"East Beach… That's where we found her!" you exclaim.

"Mal! There's a child right there who's clearly upset! Don't talk about where you found her dead sister!" Ellie scolds.

"It's not a dump site… It's a crime scene!" Natara realizes.

"You GUYS! Can you not go over in a corner and talk about this?!" Ellie exclaims, trying to cover the little girl's ears.

"Did… Did I say something wrong?" Anna asks, tearing up.

"No, sweetie. You did real well," Natara praises.

You rush outside to where Captain Yeong is talking with a few officers.

"Captain! You're going to want to hear this!" you exclaim, excitedly.

"According to Brittany's sister, the class project she'd been working on was a lie cooked up to cover what she was really doing… Hanging out at a beach bonfire party," Natara explains. "The beach where the party happened… East Beach. Same place the body was found."

"I told you! No one listens to me, though!" Ellie exclaims.

"So we know where she was taken. Good work, both of you," Captain Yeong starts, but Ellie interrupts. "'Both of you?!' Don't you mean all three of us?!"

Captain Yeong rolls her eyes and continues. "I'll dispatch a Crime Scene Unit back there right away!"

 _ ***You are now Forensic Specialist Amy Chen.***_

A few hours later, you and Eric are standing over the charred remains of a bonfire on a deserted northern stretch of East Beach. Litter is strewn all around.

All of a sudden, Ellie appears out of nowhere.

"Wait a second… How did I get here?! I was just with Mal and Natara!" Ellie looks around and spots you and Eric. She runs over to you.

"I hate being out in the field…" you complain, not noticing Ellie.

"Hate it or not, we need every technician we can out here," Eric states, looking around. "Empty beer bottles, red plastic cups, and one stray bikini top… This does appear to be the site of a high school party." He then shakes his head angrily. "A bunch of drunken, half-clothed idiots staggering around a giant fire… I'm surprised any of them made it home alive."

"You didn't go to a lot of parties in high school, did you?" you ask, grinning.

"No. Not at all," he starts, but Ellie interrupts by scoffing and muttering, "Nerd…"

Eric glares at her for a moment before continuing. "I cared far more about getting into a top-tier university than being Housewarming King."

Ellie giggles. "You mean 'Homecoming King?'"

"I'm pretty sure that's 'Homecoming King'," you say.

"Semantics. Now then, Detective Fallon and Agent Williams think the girl was taken from near this bonfire…" Eric starts.

"No, she wasn't taken from the bonfire! She went over there to make a phone call and was grabbed from behind!" Ellie exclaims, pointing to a secluded area.

"That doesn't make sense," you say. "The kids here were mostly sophomores in high school, right? And Natara said our killer was at least 20 years old… Probably older? So how did he get close to them without being spotted? These kids might have been drunk, but I'm sure they would have noticed him…" You explain as 'Detective Score Up!' appears.

"I'll admit, that's an intriguing notion, Amy… But we're interested in cold, hard facts. Nothing else. Leave the speculation to the detectives, and stick to gathering evidence," Eric orders.

"No, leave her alone! She's right!" Ellie exclaims.

"…Right," you say, ignoring Ellie. "That means picking up all of these bottles and cups and swabbing them for DNA, huh?"

"Don't sound so glum! If even one of them matches someone in our database, we'll have a lead!" Eric says, almost excitedly.

You head to the far side of the circle and start bagging bottles…

"That's so sad. One minute this girl was calling her parents to tell them she'd be home soon… And the next, she was being horribly murdered," you think to yourself.

"She went over there to call her parents! She couldn't hear over the noise!" Ellie chants.

"Wait a minute… If she called her parents and they didn't hear the party… Then she had to have walked away from the bonfire!" you think.

"Yes! Look over there!" Ellie says, pointing to the secluded area.

You look around. About 30 feet from the fire, by the base of the cliff at the beach's end, you can see a thick cluster of bushes. "There! That's where I'd sneak off to!" you think to yourself, excitedly.

You glance back to the bonfire. Eric is distracted, sifting through litter, so you wander over to the bushes. "Let's just see what we've got... Some broken branches… An imprint in the dirt… A scrap of a girl's shirt… Oh my god… That's blood!" you think, gasping.

"Yes! Finally! Good girl!" Ellie praises.

"This is the spot! This is where she was taken!" you think.

You decide whether to call Eric over or to keep investigating.

"Nah, girl, you keep looking around. Be independent!" Ellie orders.

You decide to keep investigating. You kneel down in the sand, sifting carefully through it…

"A-ha!" you exclaim. You pull out a fragment of a small glass cylinder. "Was this once… A vial?" you ask yourself.

Suddenly, a hand grabs your shoulder, making Ellie scream, "NOT AGAIN!"

"Amy! What are you doing here? We were supposed to be collecting evidence…" Eric scolds, glaring.

"Oh, it's just you…" Ellie sighs in relief.

"Look, Eric! Look at this! This is where she was kidnapped from!" You explain.

"Oh… Oh my god. You're absolutely right. And that vial…" he trails off.

"Was from the syringe!" Ellie finishes.

"It must be from the drugs the Maskmaker used!" you state.

"This is… Excellent work, Amy," he praises.

"You mean that?" you ask, hopefully.

"I do," he smiles, slightly.

"…Thanks."

"Now let's get this down to the lab at once! We need to know what was in that vial and where it came from!" he suggests.

 _ ***You are now Detective Mal Fallon of the San Francisco Police Department.***_

You drive along the waterfront, tightly gripping the wheel. Natara sits in the passenger seat.

Out of nowhere, Ellie appears. She looks around, bewildered. "Why does this keep happening to me?! I don't like being whisked away, okay?!" Ellie shouts to no one in particular.

You both choose to ignore her.

"Where are we headed?" Natara asks.

"I just got word from Amy down at the lab. They've identified the compound used to drug the girls. It's succinylcholine, a powerful neuromuscular blocker…" you inform her.

"Used commonly in emergency surgery," Natara finishes for you. "So we're definitely looking for a medical professional…"

"Not just any doctor. Eric was able to get a batch number off the vial. It matches some pharmaceuticals we confiscated a few years ago from a Dr. Christian Rose," you explain.

"Christian Rose? Sounds like the name of a rock singer…" Ellie comments.

"Why was it confiscated?" Natara asks.

"Dr. Rose was running an unlicensed plastic surgery practice, offering cut-rate cosmetic enhancements to women desperate enough to go to him. He flew under the radar until he botched a face-lift while blitzed on painkillers. The girl was completely disfigured. The prosecutor bungled the case, and the bastard got off with just 90 days in prison," you explain.

"My god… He fits the profile perfectly," Natara states.

"He's not the killer, I don't think," Ellie says.

"I don't think he's the killer," you repeat.

"What could make you possibly say that? He's a perfect fit! He's medically trained, intelligent, and I'm guessing he's physically fit… Not to mention he's got the motivation. An alterer of women's faces suffers a traumatic incident that leaves him fundamentally unstable…" she says, angrily.

"Yeah, sure, it adds up on paper. But it doesn't feel right," you say as 'Detective Score Up!' appears.

"See? We're right, Natara. The words appeared above his head, so the rock singer isn't the killer," Ellie explains.

You both choose to ignore her.

"Dr. Rose is no saint, but he strikes me as your average felon: greedy, irrational, and self-destructive. I don't think he has the discipline or the focus to be the Maskmaker," you say, biting your lip.

"Well, I hope you're wrong… Because I think we're this close to cracking the case. Are we driving to his house?" she asks.

"No, we'll let the uniforms handle that. We're heading to his other property, an abandoned warehouse down by the piers. It's where he performed his illegal surgeries," you say.

"Come on! He owns a creepy warehouse by the water, and you _still_ don't think he's our guy?" Natara exclaims in exasperation.

"Trust the gut, Natara," you say, looking into her eyes with a slight smile.

"Yeah, always trust the gut, Natara… Wait, are you guys flirting?!" Ellie asks, smirking.

You both ignore her.

"You guys are so cute!" she squeals.

You both ignore her again.

You swerve onto a backroad in a run-down waterfront neighborhood.

"Well, if I _were_ a serial killer who needed a hideout, it would definitely be around here…"Natara trails off, eager to prove you wrong.

"You know, this neighborhood didn't used to be so bad. When I was a little kid, my dad used to take me down here to fly kites on the beach, and grab some pizza afterwards," You say, reminiscing. "Of course, old Sal's pizza place got shut down years ago. It's probably a crackhouse at this point…"

"Are you are your father close?" Natara asks, curiously.

"We were," you reply.

"Were?" Ellie repeats.

"But not anymore?" Natara asks.

"Well, given that he's serving 35 to life for corruption, racketeering, and extortion, no, we're not exactly flying kites these days," you furrow your eyebrows.

"Oh, good job, Natara, you've made him upset!" Ellie exclaims.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't realize," Natara says, looking sad.

You shrug it off. "Don't worry about it. We're here."

You pull up outside the warehouse. A muscle car is parked outside.

Ellie's face starts to pale. "I think he's here…"

"Mal, look at this," Natara states. She runs her hand over the side of the muscle car, pointing out several prominent holes.

"Are… Are those what I think those are?!" Ellie asks.

"Bullet holes… And blood," Natara finishes.

A scream comes from inside the warehouse!

"Quick! Move!" you order.

"Oh gosh, I'm going to pass out…" Ellie says.

You and Natara draw your guns and rush to the door with Ellie following behind.

"Hey, you guys, can I have a gun, too?" Ellie whispers. You both ignore her.

Behind the door, you can hear mumbling and the clanking of metal…

"What the hell is going on here?!" you think to yourself. You press a finger to your lips. Natara nods.

You try to decide whether to kick down the door or to peek through the crack.

"Don't kick down the door! You might get shot!" Ellie hiss-whispers.

You crouch down and peek through a crack in the door. Natara leans over and whispers… "What do you see?"

'Detective Score Up!' appears as you reply to her, "I've got multiple people. Someone's lying on his back in the middle of the room, and someone's standing over him. There's movement in the back too… Maybe one, two more people…"

"Imagine if you had kicked down the door!" Ellie exclaims, blowing out a sigh of relief. "We'd probably be dead!"

Suddenly, there's another howl of pain!

"We're going in!" you state.

"Oh, no…" Ellie mutters in horror.

You wind up and kick in the door! It flies off its hinges as you and Natara rush in!

"Alright, I'm not gonna lie that was pretty cool…" Ellie admits, before scrambling up off of the ground and following you two.

"S.F.P.D.! Freeze!" you bark, holding up your gun.

You're in a makeshift operating room full of medical supplies. A shirtless man is lying on an operating table in the center of the room. Dr. Rose stands over him, prying at a bullet wound in his shoulder… And two bulky men stand at the back of the room, pointing guns at you!

"Oh, great…" Ellie mutters.

"What the hell is this? What's going on here?!" Dr. Rose exclaims.

"Put down your guns, now!" one of the bodyguards orders you.

"Do it!" the other one chants in.

You and Natara keep your guns pointed firmly at the two bodyguards.

"Let's just take it easy… No one has to get hurt here…" you say, calmly.

"I have a feeling, Detective, that it won't be that simple," Dr. Rose frowns.

The man on the table moans and strains.

"You pigs… Know what my family… Will do to you?" the shirtless man threatens.

"Mal… That's Miguel Flores. Ranking officer and scion of the Flores drug cartel," Natara informs you.

"Ah hell. So you're a mob doctor now, Rose? Stitching up cartel footsoldiers?" you ask.

"Since that sham malpractice case, I've had to make a living somehow. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to operate here," he says.

You glance at Natara uneasily. The bodyguards adjust their grips on their guns. Dr. Rose very slowly resumes examining Miguel's wound.

"Back away, pigs. If you value your lives," Miguel threatens.

"Listen, I know this is a very serious situation and all, but why do you keep calling them pigs? It's not threatening. It's just silly!" Ellie exclaims.

"We just want to talk…" you say.

"I ain't talking… With you…" Miguel grunts.

'Detective Score Up!' appears. "Not you, Miguel. We want to talk to Dr. Rose," you explain.

"Me? You want to talk to me?" Dr. Rose asks, looking surprised.

"Bull. They're playing you, doc. The moment you get outta the line of fire… They're gonna haul me off," Miguel says, angrily.

"Not everything is about you, Miguel!" Ellie shouts at him.

Everyone ignores her.

"Keep working," Miguel orders the doctor.

Dr. Rose takes one look at the bodyguards, then resumes examining the wound.

"Miguel, just tell your men to put down their guns. We'll get you to a hospital…" Natara informs him.

"I ain't going to… No hospital!" he yells.

He turns and barks something to his bodyguards in Spanish. One of them steps forward…

"I really wish I knew Spanish!" Ellie exclaims, covering her eyes.

"Hey! _Hey!_ Back off!" Natara barks.

"You better listen to her!" Ellie suggests.

"Last chance. Put the gun down," Miguel threatens. You wonder what to do.

"Put your gun away!" Ellie exclaims.

You slide your gun into your holster.

"Mal! What are you doing?!" Natara exclaims.

"Defusing the situation. We'll all just put our guns away and talk this through. Right?" you ask.

"Wrong," Miguel states.

The bodyguards take another step forward.

"Listen to me! You two don't have to die for your boss! We can still work this out! We just want Dr. Rose," you explain.

"It's not going to happen. I'm not going back to prison," Dr. Rose says.

"Who said anything about prison? We just want to talk…" you explain.

Rose digs deeper into Miguel's shoulder for the bullet. Miguel howls in pain.

"Oh really? And what precisely do you want to 'talk about', anyway? What trumped up charge justifies bringing an FBI agent along?" he asks.

"Mention the Maskmaker!" Ellie whispers.

"It's about the Maskmaker case," you say.

"The… Maskmaker case?" he pauses, confused.

"The dude that's been killing all those girls? Is that you, doc?" Miguel asks.

"You… You think I'm the Maskmaker? That's what this is about?! Oh, that's just ridiculous. The idiocy of this city's police department knows no bounds," he says, chuckling.

'Detective Score Up!' appears once again. "Thank God!" Ellie sighs in relief.

"Then you'll come with us to answer some questions?" you ask.

Dr. Rose jerks the tweezers out of Miguel's shoulder and drops a bullet into a little tin tray.

"Uggggggh! Goddamn!" Miguel grunts.

"Potty language!" Ellie exclaims, glaring at him.

"There. That's the bullet. Anyone with even a little medical training can stitch you up from here," Dr. Rose says to Miguel.

"You leaving…?" Miguel asks.

"I'm going to go with them to get this absurd little mess cleared up," he responds.

"We'll take the doctor, and leave. Then you and your men can go," you tell Miguel.

Dr. Rose stands up and sets down his tools. "I'm just going to go over to them very slowly. Understand?" he asks.

"I got it, doc! I understand… Understand this!" Miguel whips his hand out from behind his back, pointing a chromed semi-automatic pistol straight at you!

You hurl yourself to the side, but you're too slow! Miguel's bullet nails the side of your chest!

"Mal!" Ellie shrieks.

"Uggggh!" you grunt. You fall to the ground, ducking behind a wooden cabinet! The room erupts into chaos! Both bodyguards open fire, their shots whizzing audibly past you!

"I've never been in a gun fight before!" Ellie shrieks, ducking behind another cabinet.

Natara fires off one shot, misses, and throws herself forward, flipping over an operating table to use as cover!

"Mal! Are you okay?!" Natara asks, horrified.

"Kevlar took it… I'm… Fine," you grunt, gritting your teeth.

You peek around the corner. Miguel sits upright on the table, pointing a pistol in your direction. His bodyguards have retreated behind cover. Behind them, Dr. Rose scampers away, disappearing into the darkness.

"Get back here, Rose!" you shout at him.

The bodyguards open fire again! The side of the cabinet bursts apart, spraying you with wooden splinters! You pull yourself back!

"You're dead! Both of you!" Miguel shouts.

"Not if you're dead, first!" Ellie shouts back.

"Mal! We need to do something!" Natara shouts.

"Natara…" you trail off, trying to make a decision.

"Let her do it! You're injured!" Ellie suggests.

"I'll lay down suppressive fire! You take the shot!" you decide.

You crane your gun over the edge of the cabinet and fire blindly! Miguel and his bodyguards turn to you…

And Natara makes the shot, putting a hole clean in the center of Miguel's forehead.

"You just killed him!" Ellie exclaims.

"Jesus! She killed Miguel!" one of the bodyguards exclaim.

"Shoot them! Now!" the other one orders.

More bullets explode against the cabinet! One of them blows a chunk off the top, and you scramble to stay behind cover!

"I'm pinned down here!" you shout to Natara.

"What do you want me to do about it?" she shouts back.

"I bet you guys wish that you had given me a gun now!" Ellie chants from behind a cabinet.

Suddenly, there's the sound of an engine revving outside.

"Dammit, it's Rose! He's getting away!" Natara yells. You decide whether to run after him or let him go.

"Let him go! You'll get shot if you come out!" Ellie demands.

You decide to let him go. "We can't get him without risking ourselves! Stay down!"

Outside, Rose's car revs up and zooms away!

"Damn…" you mutter.

"Mal! Listen!" Natara orders.

You go quiet. The room is eerily silent. Neither of the bodyguards shoots.

"You two ready to surrender?!" you call to them.

There's no response. You can hear soft, padding footsteps… And the sound of one of them fumbling with a glass bottle.

"You smell… Rubbing alcohol?" Natara asks, sniffing the air.

There's the sound of cloth crumpling… And a lighter flicking!

"They're making a Molotov cocktail!" you shout.

"Why are they making cocktails in the middle of a gun fight?! Did they just suddenly get thirsty?!" Ellie asks, confused.

"We have to shoot! Now!" Natara yells.

You decide whether to shoot over the cabinet or under the cabinet.

"Shoot under so they won't see you!" Ellie suggests.

You duck low, under the bottom of the cabinet, and get a clear look at the bodyguard's feet!

"Hey! You!" you shout at them. You fire off a shot! The bodyguard's shoe bursts open! He screams and falls down, dropping his Molotov cocktail on himself! He writhes on the floor, engulfed in flame!

"I'm guessing that wasn't an alcoholic beverage!" Ellie shrieks, eyes wide.

"That leaves just the one…" You pop over your cabinet, but see no sign of the second bodyguard. Slowly, you stand and walk towards the other side of the room.

"Come out with your hands up! No one has to get hurt!" you bark.

"…Mal," Natara says, sadly.

You turn around. The second bodyguard stands behind Natara, his gun pressed under her chin. His head peers over Natara's shoulder. You line up the shot… But your hand trembles.

"Put down your gun! Put it down, now!" the bodyguard barks.

"Put down your gun!" Ellie yells.

You decide to put down your gun. "Okay. Okay. Just let her go." You slowly lower your gun to the ground and kick it to the side.

"Good boy. Good… Boy!" The bodyguard lifts his gun to fire at you… When Natara grabs his arm, jerks him down, and elbows him brutally in the side of the head!

"Uffff!" the bodyguard grunts.

The bodyguard drops to his knees, wobbles, then falls over, unconscious.

"Dang…" Ellie says, whistling appreciatively. "Natara's a bad A!"

"Natara! You good?" you ask.

"I'm good," she responds.

"Oh, I just think it's so cute how you two protect each other! Be still my beating heart!" Ellie shrieks.

The two of you ignore her and stand together. For one moment, the room is utterly silent.

"…We just killed Miguel Flores," you state.

"Yes. Yes, we did," she nods.

The three of you stand outside. Police cars are parked all around you, their lights flashing. Officers swarm over the warehouse. You walk over to the side of the lot, where Natara is finishing up a phone call.

"Yes, sir. Yes. I'll have the full write-up to you by tomorrow morning. Goodbye, sir," she says before hanging up her phone.

"Doing okay?" you ask her.

"Yeah. A little shaken, but yeah," she responds. "That was a really close call in there. I can't believe we made it out with only minor injuries."

"We got lucky. That's all," you say, as 'Detective Score Up!' pops up over your head.

"I've never been happier to see those words!" Ellie cries, dramatically.

"You ever been in a shootout before?" you ask Natara.

"No! And it was the scariest thing I've ever done!" Ellie answers instead.

You both ignore her.

"…Once. It didn't go so well," Natara replies with a sad look on her face.

A cold breeze washes over you.

"You in trouble with your chief?" you ask her.

"Are you kidding? Miguel Flores was a drug-runner and a rapist who we suspect of at least sixteen gangland murders. I might just get a medal out of this," she responds, grinning.

You chuckle. "Catch Dr. Rose, and you might get two."

Natara exhales deeply.

"Mal… I don't think he's the Maskmaker. The way he acted in there, the way he reacted to us? He didn't suggest someone with a deep psychosis," she admits.

"We told you!" Ellie nudges her with her elbow.

"Yeah. I had a feeling you'd say that," you tell Natara, furrowing your eyebrows.

Back at the precinct, you and Natara report to Captain Yeong.

"And I'm telling you, I don't want to hear it, Detective," Captain Yeong shakes her head. "Miguel Flores is dead, Dr. Rose escaped, and now you're telling me he might not be the Maskmaker?"

"It's a…" you start, wondering what to say.

"Hunch," Ellie whispers.

"Hunch," you repeat.

"Oh, I know all about your wild leaps of intuition, Detective. Need I remind you what happened the last time you let your gut trump the facts of the case?" she asks.

"Antoine was guilty," you mutter, angrily.

"Maybe so, but evidence is what will secure the conviction," she says.

"Captain, if I may…" Natara interrupts.

"No, you may not, Agent Williams. Unless and until you two can prove otherwise, Dr. Rose remains our prime suspect," she says.

"Listen to me…" you plead.

"No. You listen to me. Thanks to you, I've got one cartel officer in the morgue, one in the burn ward, and a third with a broken jaw…" she says, sternly.

"It was a righteous shoot!" you defend.

"I know, and that's the only reason you're not on suspension pending review. I pulled every string and cashed every favor I had with the Commissioner to keep you both on, at least until Dr. Rose is brought to justice," she snaps.

"Yikes…" Ellie mutters.

"…Thank you," you say, appreciatively.

"Don't let it get to your head. You're my best detective, and our prime suspect is still at large. Find him. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a press conference to prepare for," she says.

You, Natara, and Ellie step out of the Captain's office. The door slams shut behind you.

"Well, that could've gone better," Natara says, sadly.

"I'm sorry! I should've chosen theory instead of hunch!" Ellie exclaims.

"There's a television in the break room. We can watch the press conference from there," you suggest.

You, Natara, and Ellie stand in the precinct break room watching the television news broadcast.

"She shouldn't be doing this. Not yet," you say, angrily.

"We did everything we could," Natara tries to comfort you.

"I know, but still…" you trail off.

The door swings open, and Ken strolls in.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Wyatt Earp himself. Heard you had yourself one heck of a shootout," Ken says.

"It was something all right…" you mutter.

"Popping Miguel Flores… IDing the Maskmaker… Bet the Captain's glad she put you back on the force!" Ken exclaims, happily.

You don't reply.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asks.

"Tell him the truth," Ellie tells you.

"We don't think Rose is the killer," you say.

"What? You're kidding me. The guy's guilty as sin!" he exclaims in disbelief.

"I don't know, Ken. It's not as simple as that…" you trail off.

"You're gonna have to fill me in some time," he replies.

"Quiet, you two. The press conference is about to begin," Natara shushes you.

Captain Yeong addresses a crowd of reporters.

"Thank you all for coming. As many of you know, there's been a break in the Maskmaker investigation. We now have a primary suspect: this man, Dr. Christian Rose. For the moment, Dr. Rose remains at large, but we hope the citizens of San Francisco will cooperate in our attempts to bring him to justice…" Captain Yeong states.

"That's not right!" Ellie exclaims.

"Every cop in this city is going to be stuck looking for Dr. Rose…" you mutter in horror.

"That's not good," Natara says.

"No. No, it's not," you agree.

 _ ***Chapter 3 completed***_

 _ **Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to review!**_

 _ **bugreid**_


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